The Digital Nightmare
by Sync The Dragon Tempest
Summary: Discontinued... Continue at the Digital Nightmare: United World Arc
1. Chapter 1

**The Digital Nightmare**

A/N: Hello, this is my first fic around here, so be sure to go easy on me. This one will be a Digimon 02 fanfiction. Set after the DigiDestined defeat Armageddemon.

This is the summary of my story: The Lord of Millennium has woken up again after 1,000 years of imprisonment, seeking the revenge for the Digimon Sovereign and the Digidestined. What will happen if he tried to corrupt one of the DigiDestined's partner and make him/her destroying the Digital World? A little based on the story of D.Gray-Man, but not a crossover, believe me! Please read and review!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I don't own anything at all, except this fiction of mine.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Nightmare**

_The scenery turned into a dark hall, two creatures spotted _

"_Take him to me, my dear servant, the time has come!" A shadow, cloaked creature spoke to his servant._

_His servant only nodded before he went somewhere._

"_At last, the time has come to destroy the DigiDestined, and the Sovereigns as well, and the Digital World should be mine." The shadow, cloaked creature laughed. His laugh echoed through the hall, sending a chill feeling to whoever heard this._

_His servant then back with a Digimon. This Digimon was tied and unconscious. Without talking, he showed up the Digimon he'd brought. It was Veemon, yes, the tiny blue dragon Digimon, our hero, was tied there. Strangely, there was some kind of runic seal covered his right hand._

"_Now, Veemon, the chosen Digimon, it's the time for you to show your true power. I shall activate the seal on your body, now wake up, my slave of destruction!!" And after he said that, he conjured some dark magic on Veemon._

_A loud scream broke, echoing through the hall, followed by another malicious laugh._

Veemon screamed and woke up soon after this nightmare, his heart beat very fast. Thankfully, his partner, Daisuke slept so soundly, so the scream didn't wake him up.

'_What a terrible nightmare.' _Veemon thought as he tried to calm himself, and then he looked the clock, it was four o'clock in the dawn.

It was one year after they defeated MaloMyotismon, Fallen Cherubimon, and the monstrous Armageddemon. Nothing strange happened since then. Now the DigiDestined lived happily with their partners, but this nightmare made Veemon realized that something wrong had happened again.

'_What is the meaning of this, and why me?' _Veemon continued to think, cold sweated.

As he thought of that nightmare, the more confused he was becoming, so Veemon decided to sleep again. He hoped that he could forget that terrible nightmare, but he couldn't. The more he tried to forget it, the more he remembered it. He couldn't sleep again, mainly because of this nightmare, and partly because of Daisuke's loud snore.

* * *

The morning had come. It was a great new day in Odaiba. As always, Daisuke woke up late, but fortunately, it was Sunday, so he didn't have to go to school. 

"Daisuke, it's time to wake up, until when you want to sleep, you lazy pig?" his sister, Jun, woke him up.

"It's Sunday, why do I have to wake up so early?" Daisuke whined as he lazily woke up and changed his clothes while his sister waited outside his room. It's ONLY 10 o'clock in the morning, after all.

"You should be ashamed of yourself. Left like that, you'll soon rot into your bed!" Jun scolded him, "Why can't you behave like your partner? He's so sweet and adorable."

"Hah, fat chances! Veemon is just like me, I bet he hasn't woken up yet." Daisuke spat, trying to adjust his clothes. After that, he checked Veemon, but he wasn't there.

"Wrong again, ol' brother!" Jun scolded back, "Your partner has woken up far before you, now he's in the kitchen. Now get out from there or you'll not get your breakfast!!"

"Chee, talk about grouchy temper, no wonder Yamato is trying so hard to avoid her." Daisuke retorted and then went outside, then walked to the kitchen.

'_Hmm, something wrong must have happened, it's not usual that Veemon wake up before me. I wonder if today is gonna rain or something, usually he enjoys sleeping so much, like me.' _Daisuke smirked as he entered the kitchen. Veemon was there, eating the breakfast with incredible speed, as always.

"Morning, Daisuke, it's not usual that you wake up so late." Veemon stated, still eating his breakfast.

"Well, excuse me if I wake up so late." Daisuke spat crankily, "Hey, don't eat my breakfast too!!" he shouted as Veemon started to eat his portion too.

* * *

"Daisuke, there's a phone for you!" Jun shouted, "It's from Takeru, he said that he and his friends would be waiting for you in his house!" 

"Che, what did that T.J. want from me right now?" Daisuke muttered as he left his room to answer the phone, leaving Veemon alone.

'_A…phone…call? No, it can't be…true, maybe Takeru is only inviting him to fun only, stay calm, stay cool, Vee, it's not like you to think like that.' _Veemon thought, cold sweated as he waited Daisuke back.

"What do you want?!" Daisuke muttered grouchily as he answered the phone from Takeru.

"Tsk, tsk, you are sure cranky today, Daisuke!" Takeru replied with a little teasing tone in his voice.

"If you phone me just to make fun of me, I'll disconnect the line right now." Daisuke stated, readying to slam the phone.

"Whoa, wait, I didn't mean to do that!" Takeru stated panicky, "Yeah, can you go to my house? We'll hold a special meeting there, it's about the condition Digital World lately."

"Is that all? Only for that you call me? Sorry, I'm busy right now." Daisuke replied as he readied to close the phone.

"Well, that's too bad, Hikari said that she wanted to ask you something, but if you can't come, I guess she would ask me…." Takeru said a bit teasingly at Daisuke.

"Say no more, I'll be there in 15 minutes." Daisuke replied quickly, and then he slammed the phone and returned to his room.

"Takeru, how's going?" Ken asked his blonde friend.

"My strategy succeeds, when I told him that Hikari wanted to ask him something, he said that he would be here in the nick of time." Takeru smirked.

"Ha…ha…ha, it's just like him." Ken chuckled, "Now let's meet the others!"

* * *

"Veemon, get ready, we'll go to Takeru's right now. Something has happened." Daisuke stated as he hurriedly changed his clothes. 

Gulp "Not something in Digital World, right?" Veemon gulped.

"Hmm, what's wrong with you, dude?" Daisuke asked him a bit worried because it's not usual Veemon acted like that; usually Veemon is cheery and happy-go-lucky.

"Well, we can't let them waiting for us." Veemon replied, "I'll tell you when we arrive there."

'_Just like I've thought, there's something strange with Veemon, I'd better keep my eyes on him." _Daisuke thought as they walked to Takeru's house.

No one talked when Daisuke and Veemon walked into Takeru's house. Veemon continued to act like someone was watching him while Daisuke glanced confusedly at him, a weird scenery indeed. Looked like the nightmare Veemon'd had last night really affected him so much. Yeah, that nightmare was a little too much for a happy-go-lucky Digimon like him.

After walking at least 10 minutes, they arrived in Takeru's house. It seemed that everybody had gathered there with their partners: Ken with Wormmon, Hikari with Gatomon, Miyako with Hawkmon, Iori with Armadillomon, and of course Takeru with Patamon.

"Hi, guys, sorry I'm a little late." Daisuke stated as Takeru opened the door.

"Well, you are always late, so what else is new?" Miyako said with a sarcastic tone, "Precisely, if you arrived just in time, we'll be shocked." This made all of them laughed, leaving Daisuke's face reddened.

"Ow, shut up, nerdette! I don't ask your opinion for that, why don't you mind your own business!?" Daisuke blurted.

"Why you, little brat!" Miyako retorted back, leaving the others sweat dropped, this was the usual term when Daisuke and Miyako met.

"Hey, hey, peace, both of you!" Ken chuckled, "This is not the time for childish play like that. We have a little problem here!" but Daisuke and Miyako continued to argue, didn't even pay attention to Ken's words.

"Yes, Ken's right, lately there's a huge amount of dark energy emerged in the Digital World, but the source is unknown. At first, I thought that was a remainder of MaloMyotismon's dark energy, but in some way, the energy didn't match of MaloMyotismon's dark energy frequency." Iori explained seriously.

Hearing the words 'dark energy' made Daisuke and Miyako stopped arguing. Somehow, they became allergic to those words. That could be explained, because they were still traumatized by MaloMyotismon, Fallen Cherubimon, and Armageddemon. All the Digimon also fell silent after Iori said that, especially Veemon. He gazed at Iori with his eyes widened as if he saw a ghost.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Daisuke and Miyako shouted together in horror.

"It can't be…true." Veemon shouted faintly, "No, tell me that you're joking!"

Everyone glanced questionably at Veemon as soon as he said that. They didn't understand what was Veemon just said; it wasn't just like him to say something like that.

"Huh, what's wrong, pal?" Wormmon, his DNA digivolve partner, asked him worriedly expression, but Veemon didn't answer him.

"What's wrong with your partner anyway?" Hikari asked Daisuke.

"I don't know, but yes, he's been acting strangely since this morning, I have no idea what had happened to him." Daisuke replied.

"Tell us, Veemon, what's happened to you?" Gatomon asked him with an anxiety tone, which made Veemon blushed a little.

"Yeah, please tell us, maybe we can help you." Patamon encouraged him.

"…Thanks for worrying me, but if I tell you, you'll only laugh at me!" Veemon replied.

"No, this is a serious matter, we'll not laugh at you, so please tell us!" Gatomon pleaded.

Sigh "Okay, then, last night…" Veemon began his story.

In about 10 minutes, Veemon told them about his nightmare, where he was captured by some shadow creatures and turned into 'slave of destruction'. Everyone could only keep their hands in their mouths listening to his story.

"Wow, dude, that was something, never thought you would dream like that." Daisuke commented as Veemon finished his story.

"What do you mean by that!? Veemon stated a bit irritably, feeling that Daisuke would make fun of him.

"No offense, pal, but I thought you always dreamed about food or something like that." Daisuke said jokingly.

"Gee, thanks a lot for that, PAL!" Veemon replied sarcastically.

"I think you're thinking it too much. It's not like you to be so worried like that you know." Hawkmon stated.

"Well, we can't ignore that." Iori said seriously, "Some dreams can reflect the future, you know."

"My, my, here we go again, Master Iori Hida is demonstrating his ability in dream's divination." Armadillomon joked.

"Oww, shaddap, Armadillomon, this is a serious matter." Iori blurted, while Armadillomon couldn't help but laugh flippantly.

"Whether it's true or not, that's not important right now, we have to investigate this case first, c'mon, let's go to the Digital World to check it." Takeru stated to remind them.

"Takeru's right, let's go to check it." Ken added.

"Should we inform the older DigiDestined?" Iori asked the rest of them.

"I don't think that's necessary, since most of them are busy right now to prepare their final tests for Junior High School next week, we can't bother them. In fact, they will be very mad if we bother them. Yesterday, when I asked my brother about the homework, he was just frowned at me." Hikari shrugged.

"The same with my brother. When I asked him to accompany me to the school fair tomorrow, he spat at me, 'I don't have time to do that, can't you see me that I'm busy? Go search someone else but me.'" Takeru stated.

"I think that explain why my sister is in bad mood." Daisuke sweatdropped, "Lately, she always scolds me even if I didn't do anything wrong."

"Enough about this, if we're talking about that over and over, we'll never make it into Digital World! Now get move, or I'll make you move with coarse!!" Miyako scolded them, almost losing her temper.

"Yes Ma'am!" Daisuke and Takeru sweatdropped.

"Veemon, are you sure you'll be alright?" Gatomon asked him a little worriedly, given that Veemon's face turned pale as they walked to Takeru's room to open the Digiport.

"Don't worry about me. Whatever happens, I'll face it." Veemon smiled, although deep in his heart, he was a bit afraid, but seemed he didn't have any other choice than to face whatever waiting for him.

"Okay, then Digiport opens!!" Daisuke pointed his D-3 into Takeru's computer and opened the digiport, transporting all of them to the Digital World.

* * *

Digital World, Darkness Area… 

"Lord Millennium, I sense that the DigiDestined have moved into the Digital World." Gryphonmon, Digimon with shape like the legendary Gryphon, also one of the servants of Lord Millennium, informed his master.

"Good, they've eaten my bait, now it's up to Kimeramon to handle them and to plant the curse seal on _him_. Good job, you're dismissed." The shadow, cloaked creature called Lord Millennium stated.

"Thank you, My Lord; I'll be waiting for your next command." Gryphonmon kneeled, and then flew away from Lord Millennium.

"The time has come. It's time to get revenge on the DigiDestined and the Sovereigns." He laughed maliciously as he viewed the image of the DigiDestined and their Digimon. His target was there, along with the others.

The lord of darkness had made his first move…

* * *

Digital World, Dragon's Gate… 

"Azulongmon, the dark energy is getting stronger and stronger, if that doesn't stop growing, I'm afraid that our Digital World is in the mortal danger." Gennai reported.

"Thank you, Gennai, now I want to guide the DigiDestined once more." Azulongmon commanded.

"Yes, My Lord." He answered, and then he vanished.

"Now you see what I mean?" Azulongmon stated to the other Sovereigns: Zhuqiaomon, Baihumon, and Ebonwumon, "The Lord of Millennium has made his first move."

"How can he break free after we seal him one thousand years ago?" Ebonwumon asked them in confusion.

"I don't know, but this is bad, really bad, because we don't have a chance to defeat him without our father's aid." Zhuqiaomon said.

Sigh "I wish Fanglongmon was here to help us." Baihumon stated a little disappointed. Fanglongmon, the fifth Sovereign, guardian of the Central Area, and their 'father' hadn't shown up again after they defeated Lord of Millennium 1,000 years ago.

"Anyway, he must seek revenge on us; we must act quickly, and carefully." Azulongmon stated to end the conversation.

**To be continued...**

* * *

A/N: so how's that? The Lord of Millennium is the character I made, based from Earl of Millennium from D.Gray-Man series. Who is he? And who is his target? Find out in the next chapter.

Sorry if some of the characters here are OOC, especially Veemon, but I couldn't help it for the plot of this story.

Anyway, I beg all of you to read and review my story, so I can update my story as soon as possible. Just press the button down here and write your feeling about this, simple, isn't it? So, please, please, submit your review, OK?

One more, if you readers want some pairings for this story, be sure to tell me what do you want. I have planned some pairings for this story, but it can be changed if you want to, so please tell me what do you want. See you in my next chapter!!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Chapter 2 is here! Well, it takes a lot time for me to finish this one. I'm a slow writer after all. I hope this chapter will be better than before.

Thanks to everyone for the reviews. You're the best!! I'll work harder to fulfill your wish.

I'll start the pairing in the next chapter. Lord Pata, thanks for the suggestion, I'll try to fulfill it. For the ones who requested the pairing from Older DigiDestined, I'm terribly sorry that I can't fulfill it right now; there's too many characters to be listed here. For example, handling 12 major characters (from Digimon Adventure 02 only) plus some minor characters like the Digimon Sovereigns has been difficult, if I have to add the older DigiDestined, there will be 24 major characters, and I can't handle them anymore, so please forgive me if I can't do that! I'm terribly sorry!

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Toei Animation owns Digimon. I only own this fiction.

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story. Please read and review!!

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**The Shade of Darkness**

"Here we are, in the Digital World." Daisuke stated as they arrived into the Digital World.

"I've been waiting for you, my children." Gennai, as usual, emerged in the back of them.

"Whoa, Gennai, you startled us! Can't you just appear in front of us, not in the back of us?" Miyako jumped back a little, startled by a sudden appearance of Gennai.

"There's no time to talk about that." Gennai said seriously, "Once again, this world is in danger."

"Just as I thought." Iori stated, "This is about the dark energy, right?"

"You're partly right." Gennai replied, "But there's a bigger danger here. It's worse than MaloMyotismon if I have to say."

"What do you mean by that!? In this rate, you only make us more confused. Tell us straightly!" Daisuke yelled a bit impatiently, because Gennai told them elaborately.

"Be patient my child, this matter is bigger than usual, so I have to explain it slowly." He stated calmly.

'_Grr, I really hate this old bastard. He's always like this, telling the problem, but constantly leaving the most important one. At this rate, this world will be destroyed before he can even finish explaining to us.' _Daisuke thought angrily.

"So, what's just happened?" Ken asked him.

"Alright, then I should tell you, the Lord of Millennium has been woken up again after 1,000 years in imprisoned." Gennai stated seriously.

This time, the DigiDestined didn't know who the Lord of Millennium was, but seemed all of their partners knew that.

"Lord…of Millennium!? That scary monster? You've gotta be kidding!" Hawkmon shouted in horror.

"Huh? You knew him?" Takeru asked them.

"Of course we did! We, together with the Sovereigns, fought and defeated him 1,000 years ago." Veemon shouted, "But now, he's back!"

"We can't kill him 1,000 years ago, so the Sovereigns decided to seal him, but hard to believe that he can break the seal." Armadillomon added.

"…Right now, the Sovereigns are seeking the way to destroy him, but I guess that may take a time." Gennai explained.

"What? Can't we kill him with a normal way? I mean, do we have to kill him?" Hikari asked him.

"Sadly, yes!" Gennai replied, knowing that deep in their heart, they didn't want to kill anyone, "And of course, he can't be beaten by a normal way, therefore, we must seek something to oppose him." And after saying that, he vanished.

"Drat, he never changes, he tells us something, but always leaves the most important ones! I really hate that old bastard!!" Daisuke spat crankily, while the others sweatdropped.

"Whatever, I think we'll have to search that ourselves, let's get moving!!" Iori suggested.

"That…will not happen, because I'll finish you all today." A familiar cold voice echoed from behind them.

* * *

Digital World, Dragon's Gate… 

"Gennai, I see you've back, what's happened?" Azulongmon stated as he saw Gennai materialized in front of him.

"This is an emergency, My Lord! The Lord of Millennium has moved! He sent a Kimeramon to kill the DigiDestined." Gennai gasped.

"Damn it! Before we can act, he's already moved! Tell me, Gennai, where are they?" Azulongmon muttered as he prepared to go, "I'll help them, because that Kimeramon isn't something normal, he's far more powerful than the one which was defeated by them before."

"They're in the edge of the East Wire Forest. Good luck, My Lord!" Gennai stated as he saw Azulongmon went.

'_I hope I can arrive there before that Lord of Millennium can do one of his evil plans on them.' _Azulongmonthought as he traveled with incredible speed.

* * *

"N-n-no, it…can't be!" Patamon stated in trembling voice, couldn't believe it. 

"Kimeramon? And I thought we have finished you one year ago!!" Gatomon shocked as she saw a chimera-type Digimon in front of her.

"Fool, I'm not the one that you have killed before! And I serve no Digimon Kaiser! I serve only Lord of Millennium!" he stated as he readied to attack them. He had an appearance like the previous Kimeramon, but he had a strange symbol on his chest.

"Impossible, I thought Kimeramon is the Digimon that I created before!" Ken's eyes widened in horror.

"Be careful, everyone, he's very strong, stronger than the one that we've defeated before! I can feel it!" Veemon shouted.

"Okay, then, everyone, get ready!!" Daisuke shouted, readying his D-3.

Everyone nodded, also readying their D-3.

DIGIVOLUTION…

Veemon digivolved into…ExVeemon!

Hawkmon digivolved into…Aquilamon!

Armadillomon digivolved into…Ankylomon!

Patamon digivolved into…Angemon!

Wormmon digivolved into…Stingmon!

"Let's go! Take this, Veelaser!" ExVeemon fired an X-shaped laser on Kimeramon, but Kimeramon could easily swipe the blow like nothing with his SkullGreymon arm.

"Fool, if you think you can beat me with that move, you're completely wrong!!" Kimeramon shouted.

"What!? No damage at all? You've gotta be kidding!" Takeru muttered.

"Take this! Hand of Fate!!" Angemon shouted, lauching his holy attack on Kimeramon, but like before, it did ABSOLUTELY no damage on him. The same happened when Gatomon, Aquilamon, Ankylomon, and Stingmon landed their attacks, absolutely no harm caused by their attacks.

"How annoying, let's try this, Napalm Death!!" Kimeramon unleashed a huge fire shockwave, much bigger than his 'normal' Heat Viper attack, knocking down all the Digimon.

"What's that? I thought Kimeramon has only Heat Viper attack." Iori gasped in terror as he saw the Napalm Death knocked down their entire partners.

* * *

"ExVeemon, are you okay?" Daisuke shouted, running to ExVeemon's aid. 

"I…think I'm alright, but if we don't do something, we'll…lose. He has hell lots of strength." ExVeemon groaned, trying so hard to stand; that Napalm Death sure caused hell lots of damage on him.

"Daisuke, are you ready?" Ken shouted as Stingmon finally got into his feet again.

"Sure, let's do it!" Daisuke shouted.

DNA DIGIVOLUTION…

ExVeemon…

Stingmon…

DNA digivolved into…Paildramon!

"Let's kick his ass!" Paildramon shouted as he flew to Kimeramon.

* * *

Meanwhile, Gatomon and Aquilamon were lying after the attack of Kimeramon. Surely it caused huge damage like it did on ExVeemon and Stingmon. 

"Gatomon, are you okay?" Hikari asked her partner anxiously.

"I'm quite okay, but if we don't beat him soon, we'll be screwed." Gatomon replied, trying so hard to get up.

"Oh, come on, take your time, you're badly injured, don't force yourself too hard!" Hikari stated.

"It's okay, thanks for worrying about me." Gatomon smiled and finally she got strength to stand.

"Hikari, are you ready?" Miyako shouted, she and Aquilamon had it fully prepared.

"Let's do it!" Hikari shouted.

DNA DIGIVOLUTION…

Gatomon…

Aquilamon…

DNA digivolved into…Silphymon!

"Alright, let's finish him." Silphymon joined Paildramon to battle Kimeramon.

* * *

"Angemon, are you okay?" Takeru asked his partner. 

"I…guess so, this monster is far stronger than the one that we defeated before, I think he's not only ultimate, he's mega level." Angemon answered.

"Takeru, let's do it!" Iori shouted. He and Ankylomon had been ready again.

"Okay, let's join the party." Takeru replied.

DNA DIGIVOLUTION…

Angemon…

Ankylomon…

DNA digivolved into…Shakkoumon!

"Good! Let's take care of that miserable monster!" Shakkoumon shouted.

* * *

Back to battlefield, Silphymon and Shakkoumon had joined Paildramon. With these forms, at least they could be a little match against this monstrous Kimeramon. Still, like what Angemon said before, THIS Kimeramon is a mega level Digimon, so it wasn't that easy to beat him. 

"Take this! Desperado Blaster!!" Paildramon fired his weapons on Kimeramon.

"Static Force!" Silphymon joined Paildramon to attack Kimeramon.

"Kachina Bomb!" Shakkoumon unleashed many clay bombs on Kimeramon.

"These attacks hit Kimeramon dead, but weird enough, Kimeramon didn't even make effort to avoid them. It was like that he enjoyed playing with them. Those attacks left damage, of course, but not much.

"What's wrong with you guys? Are you trying to tickle me?" Kimeramon mocked all of them.

"IMPOSSIBLE!! Our attacks didn't even leave a single scratch on him!?" Paildramon yelled in desperation.

"No, it can't be!!" Silphymon cried, couldn't believe it.

""What should we do!?" Shakkoumon shouted panicky.

"Let's do it again! Desperado Blaster!! Full Blast!" Paildramon shouted, fired his gun with full force.

"Astro Laser!! Full Blast!!" Silphymon made duplicate of him and fired it to Kimeramon.

"Justice Beam!! Full Power!! Shakkoumon fired orange beam from his eyes.

"This is the interesting ones." Kimeramon smirked, "I'll enjoy this! Flash Force!!" He conjured a fire-protective aura. Again, this peculiar technique blocked the attack-rush from our heroes; making everyone jaw dropped seeing that.

"What the fuck is happening of this monster?" Daisuke grumbled, "He keeps using some alien techniques on our partners!"

"How can he learn so many strange techniques like that!?" Iori asked in confusion.

"If he keeps using those strange techniques, we'll lose!" Ken shouted in frustration.

"Everyone, be careful! Looks like he readies to launch his counter-attack!" Takeru warned Paildramon, Silphymon, and Shakkoumon.

"Hmm, are you finished with your little play? Now it's my turn, what did you ask me to do before? Oh yeah, you want this, right? Heat Viper!!" Kimeramon shouted, firing huge fire shockwave like before, even bigger than Napalm Death before, knocking out Paildramon, Silphymon, and Shakkoumon in one hit, and forcing them to de-digivolved into their rookie forms. Wormmon, Hawkmon, Patamon, Gatomon, and Armadillomon were laid unconscious while Veemon was still conscious, but still, he couldn't fight back in this condition.

"I can't believe it! His Heat Viper attack is very strong!" Iori gazed at Kimeramon with horror.

"…And now, I've got a job to do here!" Kimeramon glanced at Veemon and slowly walk to him.

"Hey, what are you going to do with Veemon, freak!? Leave him alone!!" Daisuke spat as Kimeramon slowly approached into Veemon.

"Just wait and see, brat. This is not your business!" Kimeramon stated and continued to walk.

"Why, you big, freakish bastard!" Daisuke retorted and tried to block Kimeramon, but Ken stopped him.

"It's not a wise decision trying to attack him, remember, he's just wiped our partners up, and think this: what can you do to stop him anyway!?" Ken tried to calm his DNA digivolve partner.

"But…if I don't do something, he'll kill Veemon or something like that! So, let me go!! I'll not let him to do that to my partner!!" Daisuke yelled and broke free from Ken.

"Uhm, how…can he so strong?" Veemon shook his head and tried to get up.

As he could finally stand, Kimeramon had reached him. Kimeramon grinned maliciously as he glared at Veemon. Veemon glared back at him.

"What do you want, freak!?" Veemon asked him rudely.

"My, my, it's not a good language you kid should use against adult, you know." Kimeramon chuckled, trying to catch Veemon with one of his hands, but Veemon managed to avoid it.

"Answer me, you damn it!! What do you want, freak!?" Veemon retorted.

"Okay then, I was sent by the Lord of Millennium to capture you, it's your fate, and you can't escape!" Kimeramon stated cruelly.

'_Veemon, the chosen one, you'll be my slave of destruction. It's your fate, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!!' _A cold, vindictive voice echoed in Veemon's mind once more.

"N-no, it's not my fate. I won't do that!!" Veemon screamed loudly while Kimeramon laughed evilly. It's the first time that he'd ever been so terrified like that.

Suddenly Daisuke jumped in front of him, shielding him. This sounded crazy, given that he couldn't even hurt Kimeramon due his incompetence, but he must be admitted for his bravery. Everyone gasped in horror seeing that.

"If you want my partner, you'll have to pass me first!!" Daisuke shouted with no fear at all.

"Daisuke, don't be so stupid! He can kill you if you do that!!" Veemon shouted in panicky.

"Heh, what kind of joke is this? You, human want to protect your partner? How amusing! But for now I'll show no mercy! Get lost, brat!!" Kimeramon swatted away Daisuke with his Devimon hand, making him flew away at least 10 feet away from them.

"Daisuke!!" Everyone screamed as Daisuke landed in huge 'BAM' noise, leaving him unconscious.

"Why, you! What did you do to Daisuke, freak!?" Veemon shouted angrily.

"Just a simple bash attack, anyway, he deserved it, anyone who interfere with my business will be punished. Now, I suggest that you just give up to me and maybe I'll let your friends alive." Kimeramon threatened Veemon.

"You'll never take me alive!!" Veemon exploded with anger, and then charged to Kimeramon.

"Oh yeah? Watch me!!" Kimeramon mocked him again.

"Take this! Vee Punch!!" Veemon shouted and launched his wind milling punch on Kimeramon, but he simply blocked it with one of his hands.

"Persistent little brat, didn't you!?" Kimeramon mocked and swatted away Veemon, but not so hard, because surely his master would kill him if he killed Veemon.

"Damn it! I'll never give up to the Lord of Millennium, and to you!!" Veemon stood up again and readied to launch another attack.

* * *

Meanwhile, all the DigiDestined had tended all the injury of their partners and Daisuke, but unfortunately their partners couldn't help Veemon fighting Kimeramon, mainly because they had used most of their strength before. 

"I can't believe that Veemon actually can stand against this Kimeramon." Hikari glanced amazedly at Veemon while they tended Daisuke. He was still unconscious because of blow from Kimeramon before.

"Yeah, he got hell of strength inside his little body." Miyako added.

"Aww, come on, can't you guys help him away?" Takeru asked their partners.

"We want to, but seem that our energy has run out. We're terribly sorry. Veemon is different, he gained so much energy from his anger." Patamon explained.

"It's okay, you've tried your best." Takeru smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the battlefield... 

"Take this you freakin' monster!" Veemon shouted, jumping high, "Volley Kick!!"

This attack successfully landed on Kimeramon, and actually caused him to fall back, for some reason. After that, Veemon landed and jumped again to prepare more attack.

'_So…strong for a kid, now I understand why the Lord of Millennium chooses him.' _Kimeramon thought.

"Take this! Vee Head Drop!!" Veemon did a Vee HeadButt attack from the air, just like meteor, knocking down Kimeramon again, but this time, he immediately got up and sneered evilly again.

"Enough of this childish game! Time to get serious! Veemon, you're mine, Fire Puppet!!" Kimeramon shouted, launching a fiery shadow on Veemon, which rendered him into immobilization.

"Darn, what did you do to me, you dreck!?" Veemon shouted angrily.

"Just a little immobilization spell. Now wait quietly while I carry on my duty." Kimeramon sneered evilly, drawing away a black orb from his mouth, "Darkness Seal!!"

The orb flew away from Kimeramon and hit Veemon right on his chest. After the hit, Veemon was laid unconscious and the orb vanished, leaving a small black mark on his right hand, a small runic seal.

"Now, I shall finish all of you, and then bring Veemon to my master!" Kimeramon shouted.

"No, you won't, you'll perish in my lightning!!" a voice echoed from his back, "Aurora Force!!"

A huge lightning shockwave emerged from Kimeramon's back, this time really knocked him down, leaving him groaned in pain. The DigiDestined relieved seeing who was coming, it's Azulongmon! He finally arrived, but a bit late. Daisuke finally got up and he immediately ran to save Veemon.

"You're done now! Wind Electricity!!" Azulongmon shouted, calling forth huge lightning from the sky, making Kimeramon yelled in pain.

"Blast you, Azulongmon, I may lose, but my job here is done…" Kimeramon laughed evilly as Azulongmon hit him with Aurora Force once more, which successfully finished Kimeramon, turning it back into data.

* * *

Digital World, Darkness Area… 

"So, Kimeramon has gone?" the Lord of Millennium stated slowly as he received report from his spy.

"Yes, My Lord, but he has successfully placed the cursed seal on Veemon." Gryphonmon kneeled as he delivered the report.

"Very good, continue to watch over them. You're dismissed." The Lord of Millennium added.

"…Finally, the time has come, with Veemon in my hand, I'll get my revenge on the Sovereigns." He projected the image of unconscious Veemon, and then laughed maliciously, which sent a chill feeling to anyone hearing that.

**To be continued…**

* * *

A/N: Well, how's that? It turned up that from the beginning the Lord of Millennium targeted Veemon. Anyway, the Lord of Millennium is only a Digimon in disguise, but so far I haven't figured up what kind of Digimon he is, so if you readers have suggestions, please tell me, so I can think it up quickly. 

The 'alien' techniques of Kimeramon (Napalm Death, Flash Force, and Fire Puppet) are taken from several other anime and video games. I figured that it would be a little boring if the enemies had only their original techniques, so I added some techniques for them. You'll see more of them in the next chapters.

Oh yeah, review please!! Reviews really make me happy!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Chapter 3 is here! Finally, after spending endless hour, I've finished writing this chapter. I hope this one can be better than the previous two chapters. I'll try to update at least once a week, but I hope I can update twice or even three times a week.

Thanks for all reviewers!! You really make my days!!

In this chapter I'll try to do the pairings you've asked. I think in this chapter I'll do Takari pairing and maybe with a little PataGato pairing. Thanks to Lord Pata for the suggestion and for your help!

About the older DigiDestined, I'll think over about that again, and if it's possible, I'll add them in my next chapters.

Disclaimer: Haven't you people got bored from this!? Fine, I don't own Digimon, Toei Animation do. I only own this fiction of mine.

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story. Oh yeah, review please!!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Footsteps of Fate**

"Children, are you okay?" Azulongmon asked the DigiDestined after he defeated Kimeramon.

"We're alright, thanks to all of our partners, especially Veemon." Takeru replied.

"Yeah, Veemon fought bravely against Kimeramon despite of his incompetence against a Mega level Digimon." Ken added.

"Speaking of Veemon, what did that freakin' bastard do on him?" Daisuke blurted.

"Hmm, let me examine him for awhile. You don't mind, do you, Daisuke?" Azulongmon asked Daisuke.

"Well, I don't mind at all, for sure. This is for Veemon's sake, too." Daisuke replied, laying Veemon on the ground. Azulongmon then used his power to levitate him in front of his eyes.

For awhile, Azulongmon checked Veemon. It seemed that he alright, until Azulongmon noticed a small mark on Veemon's right hand.

'_This symbol looks very familiar. Where did I see it anyway?' _Azulongmon thought.

"What's wrong, Azulongmon?" Daisuke asked, "Is that something wrong with Veemon?"

"So far, he's fine, but I can't figure out something on him." Azulongmon replied.

"What's that?" Patamon asked.

"Have you noticed something when you fought against Kimeramon before?" Azulongmon asked back.

"Hmm, nope, nothing strange, except…." Miyako answered.

"Except what?" Azulongmon stated seriously.

"Except that Kimeramon didn't seem want to kill Veemon, when Veemon fought him, he seemed only playing with him." Hikari added.

"Pardon me? Do I hear you right? Playing? What the hell dose that mean!?" Daisuke asked.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that, but seems that he didn't want to hurt Veemon either." Hawkmon stated.

"The moment when he got serious was when he used some strange technique…what was that? Oh yeah, Fire Puppet to paralyze Veemon, and then he throw some kind of black orb on Veemon. The black orb hit Veemon, and then he fainted." Armadillomon explained.

Azulongmon's face turned pale as soon as he heard that. Finally he recognized that this was a plot of Lord of Millennium. Everyone glanced questionably at him, wondering what could possibly make a Digimon Sovereign like him worrying like the Apocalypse day would come soon.

"Azulongmon, what's wrong with you?" Gatomon asked.

"Well, it may be hard for you, but I want you to prepare yourself for the worst." Azulongmon sighed.

"What do you mean by that!? Tell us straightly!!" Daisuke demanded.

"Okay, I'm terribly sorry that…that the Lord of Millennium has planted his curse seal on Veemon." Azulongmon said, "I'm terribly ashamed that I couldn't even stop him to do that!"

"You mean that black orb is carrying the curse?" Iori shocked.

"Yes, and this is bad." Azulongmon replied, "The curse seal will enable the Lord of Millennium to freely control Veemon against his own will, or in the other words, he'll become his slave! Damn it, why didn't I realize it from before?" He muttered angrily.

"Ha…ha…, you're kidding, right? No, tell me that you're kidding!!" Daisuke pleaded, but Azulongmon could only shake his head.

"Nope, I'm not kidding, why should I lie to you?" Azulongmon replied.

"Azulongmon, just why did he target Veemon?" Ken asked.

"I thought you would never ask, but fine, this tragic accident started 1,000 years ago. The Lord of Millennium was created from all of the negative energy in this world. We, the Digimon Sovereigns, together with Veemon, Hawkmon, and Armadillomon managed to defeat and seal him. Well, in the battle of Ragnarok, we called it that, Veemon, in the shape of UlForceVeedramon Future Mode, the strongest digivolution of Veemon's line, together with Fanglongmon managed to defeat him. I think that's the reason why he wants Veemon so bad. With the dark power, I guess he wants to turn Veemon into the destroying machine like that." Azulongmon explained.

"UlForceVeedramon? What's that?" Miyako asked him.

"I think I can explain that." Ken answered, "Once, as the Digimon Kaiser, I did a research about Veemon's digivolution tree. Apparently, the normal digivolution line of Veemon is Veedramon's line. Only a chosen one can become AeroVeedramon, the ultimate digivolution of Veedramon's line."

"…And only the truest of all Veemon can become UlForceVeedramon." Azulongmon added, "But apparently, Fanglongmon sealed Veemon's ability to become UlForceVeedramon in the same time he got sealed to make sure that if he fell in the wrong hands, he couldn't use this ability to cause the destruction, I think the Lord of Millennium fails to see this."

"And who is Fanglongmon anyway?" Takeru asked.

"You've already known the four Digimon Sovereigns, right?" Azulongmon asked back and everyone nodded, "Yeah, I, Zhuqiaomon, Baihumon, and Ebonwumon are the Sovereigns you've already known, but there is one more Sovereign that many people don't know, the fifth Sovereign, Fanglongmon, the rule of the Central Region, also known as the creator of the Digital World. He's also the one who created us in the beginning of this world."

"But why many people don't know about him?" Iori asked.

"The reason is simple; Fanglongmon disappeared 1,000 years ago after we sealed the Lord of Millennium. Until now, even us the Sovereigns don't know his whereabouts." Azulongmon sighed.

"Now back to our problem, do you notice the small mark on Veemon's right hand? That's the cursed seal of Millennium. Apparently, the seal isn't perfect yet, it needs some time to become complete, so until that time, we need to find the way to purify it." Azulongmon stated.

"Is that any way to purify it?" Daisuke asked in hope.

"There's a few ways to do that. The one I've already known is to kill the Lord of Millennium, and the seal of curse will be lifted instantly." Azulongmon explained, "But for now, that's impossible, for we don't even know where he is."

"So, is that any other ways to do that?" Hikari asked again.

"For that, I'll need a little time to search it. Maybe the other Sovereigns know that. I'll ask them as soon as we meet to talk about the latest condition of the Digital World. The dark energy is getting stronger and stronger, we need to act fast to prevent the destruction of Digital World. So, I think I bid you farewell." Azulongmon stated, then he left them with an incredibly speed.

* * *

"…He's gone." Iori stated as they saw Azulongmon vanished. 

"What should we do now?" Ken asked.

"I think we should go back to our world for awhile, I mean, our partners are injured and they need a rest after that battle. So, how's that?" Miyako asked.

"…" Daisuke didn't respond, Veemon was still unconscious on his back.

'_This is my fault, if I realized this from before, it wouldn't happen. Damn that Lord of Millennium, I won't let him getting Veemon. Now I have to try my best to find a way to remove this damned seal.' _Daisuke thought.

"I think so, it's getting late, my mother will be angry with me if I don't return by 6 pm." Iori watched his wristwatch; it was 4 pm in the evening.

"You're right, I haven't done my homework yet, so let's go home!" Ken added.

"Huh? I thought you had done it yesterday." Wormmon asked his partner.

"Nope, yesterday I was busy with my school project, so I haven't done with my homework yet." Ken smiled at Wormmon.

"Okay then, let's go back home!" Hikari stated.

* * *

After that short conversation, they went back to the real world. Weird, Daisuke didn't say a word when they got back to the Takeru's room. 

"Goodbye everyone, see you tomorrow at school." Iori stated, and then he and Armadillomon went.

"Thanks for everything, Takeru. See ya later." Ken said, and then he went to his home with Wormmon.

"Hikari, can I accompany you to walk home?" Takeru asked Hikari.

"That's so sweet of you, Takeru, but…." Hikari stopped for awhile. Takeru sure had some nerve to ask her in front of Daisuke, his rival, but…

"…Yeah, go ahead!" Daisuke stated, still in his unusual tone, he still thought of how the get rid of that curse seal on Veemon.

Miyako jaw dropped in surprise. It wasn't like him to let Takeru doing that. Takeru and Hikari were also surprised hearing that.

"Am I hearing you right? You actually let Takeru walk Hikari home in front of your very eyes!?" Miyako asked Daisuke.

"Hmm, yeah…." Daisuke answered with no expression at all

"Huh, Daisuke, are you alright?" Hikari asked worriedly.

"Hmm, yeah…." Daisuke replied with the same tone as before.

Miyako glanced at Daisuke with a questioning face. '_It's not like him to act like that', _she thought, so she decided to pull several tricks on him, maybe he would snap out.

"Hey, Daisuke, can I paint your Veemon orange?" Miyako asked, but still the same answer as before. Takeru stared at him in bewilderment, while Hikari sweatdropped; usually if someone asked him like that; surely he would kill him/her at once.

"Hey, Daisuke, a monster has invaded your home." Miyako stated, but he didn't even blink. "Oyy, Hikari-chan said that she was getting married." Miyako tried again, but still no reaction. Finally she yelled in frustration, "Bloody hell, who are you anyway? What are you doing to the real Daisuke!?"

"Huh? Sorry I don't hear you, I guess I'll go home now, Veemon needs rest, ya know." Daisuke snapped out, and then he left Takeru and Hikari in puzzlement, wondering what was happened to that lad.

"Oyy, Daisuke, wait! You haven't answered my questions yet!! Sheesh, sometimes I really get worried of that boy." Miyako yelled and then she followed him from the back. Hawkmon followed her, wondering what had happened to his partner that she acted like that.

* * *

Takeru, Hikari, Patamon, and Gatomon sweatdropped. Nobody could say anything for awhile. Daisuke sure was weird this time.

"Uh, shall we be going?" Takeru asked.

"…Sure, let's go before dark." Hikari replied.

So, Takeru escorted Hikari to go back to her home. No one said anything in their way, until…

"…You, know, Takeru, I'm really sorry about what happened to Veemon. Poor Daisuke, I think that made him acted like that." Hikari said.

"Yeah, I do think so, after all, Veemon is our friend too, so we've got to help him." Takeru replied.

"Seeing what happened to Veemon really remind me when I become the eighth DigiDestined." Hikari added.

"Yeah, it has been five years since that accident." Takeru stated, yeah, it had been five years since they united as DigiDestined team, together with the older DigiDestined.

"I always think about this, since then we're always together, aren't we?" Hikari asked Takeru.

"…I think we'd better leave them alone for awhile, Patamon." Gatomon giggled.

"Are you sure?" Patamon asked densely.

"My, aren't you a dense one! Let's go!" Gatomon giggled once more and then she pulled Patamon away.

Takeru kept silent for awhile. Yes, after these years, they were always together. He felt something had tickled him. This feeling was different from the others, it was very hard to describe.

'_Ah, I know, you're in love with her.' _A voice echoed in Takeru's mind.

'_Huh, what do you mean? Yeah, I like her, just as a friend.'_ Takeru thought.

'_Oh, come on, don't lie to yourself! Just admit it! You .are .in .love .with .her, got it? I'm your inner voice, so you can't lie to me.' _His inner voice replied.

'_Gaah, why don't you shut up!? _Takeru thought angrily.

'_See, you're angry with me, meaning that you're in love with her, but you are just too shy to admit it. I tell you, you will regret it someday if you keep acting like this.' _His inner voice echoed one more.

'_Grr, why don't you quit disturbing me and go away!?' _Takeru thought angrily.

'_I'm your brain, you idiot, if I can get away from you, surely you'll die. Come on, just admit your feeling, it's not as hard as you think, right? _His inner voice disturbed him again.

"GAH, JUST SHUT THE HELL UP!!!" Takeru yelled in frustration, making Hikari a little frightened.

"Uhm, Takeru, I didn't say anything." Hikari stated, "What's wrong with you? First Daisuke acted strangely, now you."

"I-I-I'm sorry. It's not like that…I-I-I'm just trying to shut some annoying voices in my head, honestly." Takeru replied nervously. _'Just look on what you've caused. Now Hikari-chan thinks that I'm crazy or something like that' _Takeru thought sarcastically.

'_Well, beats me, I'm innocent, you know. You are the one who yelled, not me, so don't blame me for that.' _His inner voice replied back, just as sarcastic as before.

'_Gee, thanks a lot, pal, you can spoil my day if you keep doing that.' _Takeru bit back.

"Uhm, Takeru…" Hikari called him, which snapped him out from his ridiculous fight with himself, "You know, since that day, we're good friends, right? You always support me wherever we are. I'm really happy that I have a good friend like you."

This time, Takeru couldn't help anymore but flushed. '_Oh my God, she's smiling at me, oh, I think I'm gonna die from that smiling, she is so sweet when she smiles like that.' _Takeru thought.

"Hmm, Takeru, what's wrong with you? Your face…turns red." Hikari asked him.

"Ühm, I…I'm okay. Don't worry." Takeru snapped out, and then he smiled, "I'm very happy for the miracle of living in the same time as you, Hikari. You're my best friend ever."

Hearing this, Hikari flushed a little. Like Takeru, she also had a feeling about him, not just a friend; there was something deeper than that, something that was very hard to explain. This wasn't the first time she'd ever felt this way. For example, when she got dragged into Dark Ocean, Takeru was trying so hard to save her.

'_He's always here, right on my side, even when I have to walk in the darkness. This feeling is different from Daisuke, but still I can't figure out what this feeling is.' _Hikari thought, which made her blushed even more.

"I'm glad that you think so. Now, let's continue our way, it's getting late." Hikari stated, and then she held Takeru's hand.

"Alright, let's go!" Takeru blushed, but somehow he felt warmth feeling over him.

* * *

"Ohh, isn't that ever so sweet, Patamon?" Gatomon giggled as they saw their partners, "I've never known that Hikari would be very romantic like that. Ohh, someday I would like someone to do the same on me." 

Patamon couldn't say anything. He knew that Veemon was crazy on her, just like his partner was crazy about Hikari. _'Maybe Veemon is the one she's mentioned. I have to admit it though; he's strong, handsome, and many more.' _Patamon thought.

'_Ahh, you're too pessimistic, my dear Patamon. How can you feel like that?' _His inner voice echoed, _'Don't you like her too, my little angel?'_

'_Huh? Who are you?' _Patamon thought.

'_I'm you, your inner voice to be exact. Now, you've to be honest to yourself. Admit it, you like her, right? There's no point to think that you're inferior. Remember, as long as you have a hope, you'll never lose your way.' _His inner voice echoed again.

'_Really?' _Patamon replied.

'_Yes, you're Digimon of Hope; you can do it, as long as hope live in your heart.' _His inner voice encouraged him.

"Patamon, let's get moving, our partners have been waiting for us!" Gatomon pulled Patamon's hand, snapping him out.

"O-ok, let's go!" Patamon replied, blushed a little.

* * *

_Yes, as long as you have hopes, you'll always find your way. Maybe your way isn't as smooth as you think, but as long as you believe in yourself, no matter how hard your way is, I'm sure that you'll reach your goal!_

_

* * *

_

A/N: So, how's that? I hope this chapter is better than the previous ones. Like I promised before, I started the pairings in this chapter. This is the first time I've to write about romance, so forgive me if the romance is a bit weird. Oh yeah, review please! Reviews really make me feel very happy!

Coming soon, chapter 4! If I don't get a writer's block, I'll post it 1-2 days after I post this one.

One more, if you still have suggestions about what Digimon should I use for Lord of Millennium, I still receive your suggestions for it and if I use your suggestion, I'll add your name in my special thanks section.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Here comes chapter 4! Sorry for late update, I've got a writer's block, so it took me 3 days to finish this chapter, I hope you can understand.

Sorry for the blunder I made in the previous chapter, I said that only Veemon, Hawkmon, and Armadillomon who joined the fight against Lord of Millennium. The right ones are Veemon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Patamon, Gatomon, and Wormmon joined the fight against Lord of Millennium with the five Sovereigns in the battle against Lord of Millennium. Thanks to Lord Pata to remind me about it.

Disclaimer: Still hasn't bored from this yet!? Fine, I don't own Digimon, 'cause if I really own Digimon, surely Daisuke and the other DigiDestined will kill me for making such annoying story like this. Anyway, thankfully that Toei Animation owns Digimon, so they can't kill me. :)

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story! Oh yeah, review please!!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Friendship's Power**

Digital World, Dragon's Gate…

"Azulongmon, I'm pretty sure that you have something to tell us when you asked us to come here." Zhuqiaomon opened the dialogue.

"Of course he is. This is an emergency! The dark energy is getting stronger and stronger in every passing moment. In this rate, the world itself will be destroyed if we don't do anything to eliminate it." Baihumon stated.

"Instead of that, we have a bigger problem. Lord of Millennium has used one of his wicked plans: he has planted the cursed seal on Veemon. If we don't do something, surely he'll use Veemon to destroy this world." Azulongmon explained.

"Veemon? You mean one of the Chosen Ones?" Ebonwumon asked.

"You're right. When we were unaware, he sent one of his strongest knights, Kimeramon to plant a curse seal on Veemon. However, he failed to capture him." Azulongmon added.

"Yes, My Lord managed to make it there although it was a little late. After it, My Lord killed that Kimeramon." Gennai stated.

"Then, I guess he still has 5 more knights, right?" Zhuqiaomon asked, and Azulongmon nodded, "But, I can't figure out why he chose Veemon? Aren't there 5 more to choose?"

"Oh, this is only a guess, but I think he's trying to turn Veemon into Black UlForceVeedramon, although that isn't possible due the seal Fanglongmon put on Veemon, but I guessed that Lord of Millennium thought that Veemon is the strongest and also the easiest to be corrupted." Azulongmon explained.

"Yes, you've got a point here. He used some kind of dark magic to create the curse, right? Patamon and Gatomon will easily deflect the curse due their holy power. That leaves only 4 to choose, and I think if I have to do that, I'll choose Veemon as well." Baihumon suggested.

"This is bad, we've got to find a way to remove the curse immediately, or we're doomed!" Ebonwumon added.

Everyone thought hardly after that. This curse is a strong one, can't be removed by the normal way like blessing. Finally Zhuqiaomon had something knocked in his brain.

"Hey, I think I have an idea! Fanglongmon once told us that in the center of Digital World, there's a sanctum dedicated to hold the purest holy power of this world, remember? He said that we would need this power someday when this world is in great danger." Zhuqiaomon said.

"Oh yeah, I'd ever heard that too, that place is called The Shrine of Sun, right?" Baihumon nodded, "Maybe that's the answer for our problem. I mean you can't say that the purest holy power in this world can't purify that curse, right? Also, we can use that to erase the dark energy."

"Hmm, you're right. It's worth to try, better than sitting here and waiting for the world's end." Azulongmon said, "Gennai, inform this to the DigiDestined at once!"

"Yes, My Lord!" Gennai responded, and then he vanished.

* * *

Real World, Odaiba… 

_A shadow, cloaked creature appeared from the darkness._

"_How is our preparation?" The shadow, cloaked creature asked coldly._

"_Milord, the preparation has completed. The curse seal has been perfect. Now he's My Lord's servant." A giant, eagle-lion chimerical creature, Gryphonmon stated._

"_Also, how's about the other two?" The shadow, cloaked creature asked._

"_Just fine, I have extracted their DNA and merged into him." Gryphonmon answered._

"_Good job, now take him here. About the other two, they're no longer any use for us; just hold them in the dungeon!" The shadow, cloaked creature commanded._

"_Yes, Milord." Gryphonmon kneeled and then flew away._

"_Finally, I'll get my revenge on those bastards. With Doomdramon, I'll destroy them all!!" He laughed maliciously. His laugh echoed to his entire castle._

_Gryphonmon then came back with Veemon, but Veemon didn't so normal like always. Now he was dark blue, with his cursed seal glowing purple in his right hand._

"_Here he is, Milord, ready to take command." Gryphonmon stated._

"_Good, you're dismissed." The shadow, cloaked creature stated, and then Gryphonmon flew away from him._

"_Now, Veemon, my servant, time to reveal your true form!" he shouted and cast his dark magic on Veemon. At instant, the dark aura surrounded Veemon._

_DARK DIGIVOLUTION…_

_Veemon dark digivolved into…Doomdramon!_

_The Lord of Millennium laughed maliciously seeing Veemon turned into a huge dragon creature. _

* * *

"Aaaahhhhh!!!" Veemon screamed loudly, waking from his deep sleep, his heart was beating very fast. This was the second time he had such nightmare like that. 

'_What a bad dream! Why in the name of heaven do I deserve this!?' _Veemon thought.

"Oh, you're awake, thank goodness." The door opened, and weird, Patamon came in and smiled at him. Veemon twitched his eyes and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Surprised to see me!? Daisuke asked me to look after you while he and Takeru went to school; I mean…you're injured, so Daisuke didn't want you to go anywhere, at least until they've returned." Patamon explained.

Veemon twitched his eyes again, _'Did I hear him right? Daisuke asked TAKERU to look after me!? And I thought that he didn't like Takeru so much, and that he would ask Ken instead of Takeru. Ow, man, Daisuke is going insane.'_

"Huh, what's wrong? You didn't like me to accompany you!?" Patamon asked.

"No…it's not like that. Only, it's a…little weird, usually Daisuke will ask Ken and Wormmon to accompany me, but this time…" Veemon stopped.

"He has some reasons to do this." Patamon said.

* * *

_(Flashback)_

"_Takeru, I would like to ask you something." Daisuke stated as he got to Takeru's house this morning._

"_Huh, it's not usual that you would ask me something like this (and spelling my name right, too!). Usually you ask Ken if you have something." Takeru stated a little surprised while Patamon threw a questioning glance at Daisuke._

"_Yeah, I know this is a little weird, but can you ask Patamon to accompany Veemon? I'm worried that something might happen to Veemon when we're in school." Daisuke said._

"_My, my, now I've seen everything!" Takeru commented sarcastically, "I thought hell would freeze before you started to worry about something!"_

"_Haa…haa…haa…veeerry funny, I'm serious, you know!" Daisuke retorted._

"_Okay, okay, Patamon, how about that?" Takeru asked his partner._

"_I think it's okay, since I don't have any other activities to do." Patamon replied, "Should I ask Gatomon to come over too?"_

"_No, don't ever think about that! My home is not a war zone, you know!" Daisuke quickly answered, while Takeru laughed, "You know that you two are crazy about Gatomon, I can't imagine if two of you fight in my home. My mother will ground me for a month if she finds out our beautiful home turned into a mess, for sure."_

"_I understand." Patamon giggled, "So, you want me to play nanny for Veemon?"_

"_Whatever, just make sure that he doesn't leave home until I come home." Daisuke said, "Now, I've got to go to school! If I'm late again this morning, the Principal will give me 6 months detention for it."_

"_Huh, why the hell that he would do that!?" Takeru asked confusedly._

"_Simple, in this month, I've been late 10 times, breaking school rules at least 20 times, and breaking the school windows 5 times, so the Principal said, 'One more rules breaking attitude, and believe me, your grandchildren will graduate before you!' Man, that old geezer is really getting on my nerve!" Daisuke spat crankily while Takeru and Patamon sweatdropped._

"_Now this is the Daisuke I've been known." Takeru chuckled, "Kari and I have been very worried about you. You sure acted strangely since yesterday, especially the part when you didn't even react when Miyako said that Kari-chan was getting married."_

"_She WHAT!?" Daisuke yelled._

"_Uhm, nothing, just forget about it. Let's go to school, you don't wanna be late right?" Takeru smirked._

"_You're right, let's go!" Daisuke snapped out and then he left with Takeru, leaving Patamon sweatdropped._

_(End flashback)_

* * *

"Patamon, why are you giggling? Something's funny?" Veemon asked Patamon, snapping him out. 

"No, just remembering Daisuke's face when Takeru said that Kari-chan was getting married is hilarious. If you weren't unconscious yesterday, you would see something even more hilarious." Patamon replied, still chuckled, while Veemon sweatdropped.

Sigh "Anyway, I want to eat. Let's see what Daisuke has made for…" Veemon stopped as he looked on his right arm; the curse seal was engraved there. It was still incomplete, but it seemed that the curse seal grew larger.

'_Veemon, the chosen one, I'll be my servant of destruction, this is your FATE, YOU CAN'T ESCAPE!!" _A malicious, cold voice once again echoed in Veemon's head.

"Nnnnooooo, it's not my fate!!! Don't make me do that!!" Veemon screamed loudly.

"Veemon, what's wrong?" Patamon asked him worriedly, given that it was unusual that Veemon was so terrified like that.

"It's…it's horrible." Veemon covered his face, "In my dream, I'm forced to destroy the Digital World!"

"There, there, Veemon, you must calm yourself." Patamon patted Veemon's shoulder, although he almost lost his patience seeing Veemon acted like this, "I understand that you are worrying about that curse seal, but believe me, we'll never leave you alone to face this. We'll try to find a way to remove it, the Sovereigns will also help, don't worry!"

"But…." Veemon opened his mouth to protest, which made Patamon lost his patience seeing his weak attitude.

"No buts, I hate to see you whining like that! And to see you being so weak like this, I hate even more!! Where did you hide our Veemon!? I want to see strong and optimistic Veemon like I've been known, our fearless leader, not the one who can only whine and give up at fate like you!!" Suddenly Patamon scolded him.

Veemon blinked in surprised. This was the first time Patamon had ever scolded him.

"You're right. I've been acting so weak like this, I guess I'm hopeless, right?" Veemon said.

"Hah, talk is easy! Prove it! I want to see once again brave Veemon who without fear faced MaloMyotismon and burn everyone's courage!!" Patamon yelled impatiently, "You're the Digimon of Courage, right!? Show me that you're still worthy to achieve that title, or Agumon will be very disappointed with you!!"

Veemon was silent for awhile. Patamon was right; he is Digimon of Courage, and yet he didn't show it. Agumon would be very disappointed if he heard this. This kind of weak attitude was the one which was hoped by their enemies, so they could easily defeat him.

"Yes, I must be strong, stronger than I used to be, knowing that I'm not alone. I have all of you, and I know that you all will always support me. Thank you, Patamon!" Veemon smiled.

"That's Veemon I've been known! Keep it up!! Remember, the fate still can be changed if you have a strong will to change it!!" Patamon shouted, and then he and Veemon went to kitchen together to seek something to be eaten.

'_Sorry for being so hard on you, Veemon, but I have to. To get rid of that curse, you need a strong spirit and will, and I'll make sure that you can develop it.' _Patamon thought as he saw Veemon ate happily as usual.

* * *

Real World, Odaiba Junior High School… 

"What!? Are you sure?" Koushiro said a little surprised as Ken told him about the dark energy in the Digital World and about the curse seal on Veemon.

"Yes, that's true, so I want you to check it, if you can do it, of course. I know that you're busy so…" Ken stated.

"Nope, I'm free right now, but if you talk about Taichi, Sora, and Yamato, yes, they're busy right now. I'll talk to them, perhaps they can help you, but about me, count me in, and I'm ready whenever you need me." Koushiro replied.

"Hmm, then it leaves Jyou and Mimi, but Mimi is in USA, so we can't disturb her just for this." Ken stated as he met with Daisuke, Takeru, Hikari, Miyako, and Iori.

"Oh, if Jyou, leave it to me." Iori suggested, "I'll meet him after school today, so I'll tell him."

"Okay, then I and Takeru will try to talk our brothers about this problem. I hope this time they will listen to us." Hikari sighed, "Last night when I was trying to tell my brother about this problem, he just shoo-ed me out of his room, saying that he was very frustrated with this morning's exams."

"Okay, the break time is almost over, let's get into our classes before we're late, especially you Daisuke, you wouldn't want to graduate after your grandchildren, would you?" Takeru stated a little teasingly.

"Aw, shaddap, T.J." Daisuke retorted, and then he ran into his class.

"Well, what do you know!? He's back to normal." Takeru shrugged.

"Yes, I think so." Hikari giggled seeing his 'boyfriend' joke.

* * *

"Ahh, finally the school is over!" Daisuke stated as the last bell rang. 

"Yes, hard to believe that you didn't make any rules breaking attitudes today." Ken chuckled and then they went together.

"Hi, guys, got a good time today?" Hikari, Takeru, Miyako, and Iori joined them.

"You can say that." Daisuke replied, "This is the first time I don't get any detention after school, you know."

"Okay then, let's get back to our home and rest for awhile. I'll inform you if I have a news." Iori stated, "Now if you excuse me, I'll go first! Ciao!"

"Well, then I guess I'll go home to do my school project. See you guys later!" Ken said and then he left.

"I'll go too." Miyako added, "I want to go to salon today."

Soon after she said that, Daisuke laughed like crazy and said, "You? Go to salon? Don't waste your money, you'll never get beautiful now matter how hard you try."

This was too much, of course. This time Miyako didn't even bother to argue with him; she simply whacked him with a sound 'THUD' and then left without even saying a word.

"You know, Dai-chan, you have to learn to keep your big mouth shut." Hikari sweatdropped.

"Damn it. I didn't know that Miyako was that strong and hit hard." Daisuke whined.

"That's not the problem, my friend." Takeru sighed, "You've hurt her feeling, you know. If I were you, I would go and apologize to her."

"I'll go and calm her, then." Hikari stated, "And remember, when you meet her again later, you'll have to apologize to her, Daisuke, otherwise, you can just forget about asking me to the prom night later!" Hikari added with a threatening sound.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Daisuke gulped. Hikari gave a quick smile to Takeru and then she went.

"I think it's time for us to go." Takeru stated, "Patamon and Veemon should be waiting for us."

"Yeah, let's go!" Daisuke snapped out, "I hope there's nothing happened with Veemon."

"Don't worry, he'll be okay, Patamon should do his job nicely." Takeru smiled.

* * *

"Ah, you're back, guys!" Patamon greeted Daisuke and Takeru as soon as they got to Daisuke's home. 

"How's Veemon?" Daisuke asked.

"Oh, he's fine now. Now he's watching TV." Patamon replied.

"Okay, thanks Patamon." Daisuke smiled.

"You're welcome, now can I go back with Takeru? I'm tired." Patamon stated.

"Of course, see you again then, Takeru, Patamon." Daisuke said cheerfully.

"Okay, I guess." Takeru sweatdropped, hearing that Daisuke said his name correctly again and then he and Patamon went.

* * *

"Veemon, how are you today, dude?" Daisuke asked his partner. 

"Uhm, just…fine, I guess, thanks to Patamon." Veemon answered.

"Don't worry about that curse seal, okay? We'll find a way to purify it." Daisuke stated, glancing at the black mark in Veemon's right arm.

Veemon kept silent after Daisuke said that. The voice of Lord of Millennium once again echoed through his head, but Patamon's voice was also echoed through his head, a voice full of warmth and hope.

'_Don't be afraid, you still can change your fate if you have a strong will and spirit to change it, and we'll always be with you, even if you have to face the worst. Be strong, Veemon!!'_

"Yeah, we can't just give up to the fate right?" Veemon grinned confidently, "I'm sure there's a way as long as you have a hope, and I'll search it, together with you!"

Daisuke was surprised a bit, but then smiled, "That's my partner!!"

"Daisuke, there's a phone for you. It's from Iori." Jun called Daisuke.

"…Okay, so we'll meet at Takeru's house, thanks!" Daisuke replied cheerily.

"Let's go, Veemon! Looks like Azulongmon has found a way to purify it. Let's do it!!" Daisuke shouted.

"Let's do it!!" Veemon shouted chirpily.

* * *

_Yeah, when I come to a stop, I try calling my friends' name, and look, I'm not alone! Because I have friends I can believe in, I'm strong, stronger than I used to be, and I can walk without fear, even in the darkest situation in my life._

* * *

Digital World, Dragon's Gate… 

"Gennai, how's thing going?" Azulongmon asked.

"Just fine, Milord. They've answered my call, now they're heading to this world." Gennai replied.

"From now on, I ask you to accompany them until they obtained the sacred jewel of light. Guide them, because I'm sure that that sanctum is heavily guarded and full of maze."

"Got it! you can count on me, Milord!" Gennai answered.

"One more thing, please give this digicore to them. I'm sure that they need to digivolve into mega forms in order to battle the God Generals of Millennium." Azulongmon drew one of his digicores and gave it to Gennai.

"I'll do it!" Gennai replied quickly, and then he vanished.

"Children, I'm counting on you!!" Azulongmon stated.

* * *

**To be continued…**

**A/N:** So how's that? I hope this one is better than before. About Veemon and Patamon, please don't get me wrong! I don't plan to make them as a couple; it's just a friendship among them. The real couples are Takari and PataGato, I'll do them again in my next chapters, so please be patient.

From now on, the followers of Lord of Millennium are called The God Generals of Millennium, and as I mentioned before, there are 5 more (minus Kimeramon who has already died and Lord of Millennium himself). All of them are Mega leveled Digimon, and if you want some Mega leveled Digimon to be shown here, just request it to me. If you have any idea, please tell me!

About the older DigiDestined, I'll add them in the next chapter along with their partners, but I won't include all of them at once, because I can't guarantee that all the characters can take place in just one chapter, so please understand.

Like all of the writers in here, I beg all of my readers to review my story! Just press the button in the bottom of this page. Don't worry; I'll appreciate all reviews, including the critiques, so please review!!


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Chapter 5 is up! In this chapter, I'll try to add the older DigiDestined and Willis. I hope you can enjoy it.

Sorry for late update, I think it has been six days since the last time I updated.

Thanks for all reviewers. Thanks of all the suggestions! Your suggestions are very useful for my next chapters. Special thanks too for Frozen Twins, for correcting my mistake about the Sovereigns, I'll try to correct it in this chapter!

In this section, I'll tell you that all the older DigiDestined's Digimon are staying in the Digital World. I know that in the end of the series, they stay with their human partners, but in my fic, I assume that they stay in the Digital World after they defeated Armaggedemon, so no more questions about that, okay!?"

Disclaimer: Still hasn't been bored by this one!? To tell the truth, I have been bored to inform you all that I don't own Digimon. Digimon is belonged to Toei Animation and its creator Akiyoshi Hongo. However, if there's any Digimon that don't appear in ANY kinds of Digimon products (Anime, Video Games, Virtual Pet, etc.) appear in my fic, I can claim it as my own, right!?

Disclaimer's finished, let's move to the story. Please read and review!!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**The Sol Sanctum**

Real World, Takeru's house…

"Hello, guys! Got any good news?" Daisuke asked as he arrived in his friend's house.

Everyone was there, except the older DigiDestined, but at least there were Koushiro and, what a surprise, Jyou. Taichi, Sora, and Yamato weren't there, guess they were busy for their exams and couldn't be bothered for awhile.

"Hello Daisuke, long time not to see you, I see you've grown." Jyou greeted him.

"Uh, hello Jyou, and err, Miyako…" Daisuke stated to the purple haired girl next to him.

Miyako scowled and didn't answer him. Maybe she was still angry because Daisuke mocked her a few moments ago. She merely turned her back off.

Hikari threw a glare to Daisuke, which made Ken, Iori, Jyou, Koushiro, and every Digimon glanced questionably at him. Only Takeru understood what happened between this two.

"Hawkmon, what's wrong with your partner? It's strange to see her scowled like that." Veemon asked Hawkmon.

"Beats me, I don't know." Hawkmon replied, "She didn't do that, well, until your partner arrived, I guess."

"So, there must be something wrong between Daisuke and Miyako, I think." Veemon grinned.

"Well, Patamon, I think Veemon has returned to his personality once again." Gatomon sweatdropped seeing Veemon acted today, very contrast with his acts yesterday.

"Well, that's good, right? We need that kind of Veemon as our leader, right?" Patamon replied confidently.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Gatomon smiled.

"What's wrong with you, Miyako?" Ken asked Miyako confusedly.

"I don't know. Ask the idiot in front of me, maybe?" Miyako replied sarcastically.

"What are you calling me, nerdette?" Daisuke bit back, but once again Hikari threw a glare on him. Daisuke gulped, and then he stopped.

"Listen, if there's something wrong with you two, can you solve it right now?" Iori sweatdropped, "I mean, we have an emergency situation, and if you keep acting like that, ww'll be screwed, right?"

"Yes, Miyako, please tell us what happened, maybe we can help you solve that." Ken stated.

"Well, I do this because some idiotic friends of mine mocked me that I shouldn't go to salon because I couldn't get beautiful by that way!" Miyako spat at them.

Everyone sweatdropped after she said that. Honestly, even for Miyako, this was too much. This time, Daisuke was going too far. Daisuke opened his mouth to spit back, but Hikari kept glaring at him so…

"Fine, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean that, ya know. I'm only joking, so please, please, stop doing that!" Daisuke stated helplessly, knowing that he wouldn't have a chance to win this time.

"Good then, will you forgive him, Miyako? I'll make sure that he won't do that again, right, Dai-chan!?" Hikari threw a deathly glare at Daisuke, making him couldn't say anything but nodded.

"Okay then, if you say so Hikari-chan." Miyako sighed, "I'm sorry for that childish attitude, everyone, now let's move to our problem."

"Okay, then I will explain it." Iori stated, "Gennai has just e-mailed me that the Sovereigns have found a way to remove both the curse seal on Veemon and the dark energy on the Digital World."

"Wow, that was fast! I thought they would need some time to search it." Ken commented.

"If they are so serious like that, I think this thread is very serious, just like MaloMyotismon and Apocalymon." Jyou added.

"Yeah, you're right." Iori replied, "Imagine, he will use our friend to destroy the world. That's a very serious trouble!"

"So, what's the way they mentioned to do that?" Koushiro asked.

"Hmm, Gennai mentioned that we should meet him in the Digital World, but he did mention something about the Shrine of Sun or Sol Sanctum for short." Iori answered.

"So, should we go to Digital World now?" Takeru suggested.

"Please wait a minute." Koushiro added, "I'll try to contact Mimi via e-mail to see if she and Michael can join us."

"Oh yeah, I almost forget! I'll try to contact Willis too." Iori stated.

"Willis? Oh, the holder of Crest of Destiny." Hikari nodded, "I wonder if his partner Lopmon has been revived or not."

"But he's still had Terriermon, right?" Daisuke added.

"But Cherubimon is far cooler than Rapidmon, if I have to say." Suddenly Veemon joined them.

"Of course he is. He's a high rank angel, you know!" Patamon said.

"Yes, of course." Jyou replied, "Cherubim are second ranked angels, one level below Seraphim in Heaven."

"Okay then, I've finished, now let's go to Digital World!" Koushiro stated.

"Yes, I've finished too, let's go!" Iori shouted.

"Veemon, dude, are you alright?" Daisuke asked his partner. He was afraid that Veemon would be freakin' out again like yesterday.

"Well, instead of this stupid seal…" Veemon replied, glancing at his right hand that showed a black mark, "…Don't worry, I'll be fine!" He smiled.

"Okay then, DIGIPORT, OPEN!!" Daisuke shouted, and with a burst of light, the computer sucked them into it.

* * *

Digital World, World of Darkness…

"Milord, I see that they've moved here once again." Gryhonmon reported to the Lord of Millennium.

"So, I guess that the Sovereigns have found a way to eliminate my seal on him." Lord of Millennium smiled wickedly.

"What!? Pardon for my rudeness, can they really do that!?" Gryhonmon asked.

"Yeah, there's a way to do that, using Fanglongmon's force called Purify Ave, but I don't know where that bastard hid it." Lord of Millennium growled annoyingly, "Continue to watch them and inform me when you know something!" He commanded Gryphonmon.

"As you wish, Milord." He kneeled and then flew away.

"Now, my sweet God Generals, it's time for you all to enjoy the showdown!" Lord of Millennium stated as 5 shadows appeared in front of him, "Your duty now is to bring these two Digimon here." He pointed at the picture of two Digimon.

"Let me do that, this'll be a piece of cake!" GigaSeadramon, the powerful guardian of water and one of the God Generals, stated.

"Fine, bring them to me!" Lord of Millennium commanded.

* * *

"Okay, here we are, in Digital World." Daisuke stated.

"Jyou, it's been a long time not to see you." A voice broke down from their back.

"That voice, could it be…Gomamon?" Jyou asked, and without warning, a little seal Digimon jumped to his hug.

"Boy, I've missed you so much (especially because you're my object to be annoyed)!" Gomamon shouted.

"Hello Gomamon, I see that you've never changed." Patamon sweatdropped.

"Why should I?" he replied cheerily, "I enjoy being myself like this, you know!"

"You would be…" Gatomon muttered with blue stripes appeared in her forehead.

"Well, it's long time not to see you, Koushiro!" A beetle like Digimon, Tentomon stated and flew to his side, "Are you still a computer geek like before?"

"Is this your first greeting to your partner!?" Koushiro muttered while the others laughed, "Never mind, how are you?"

"Never better, although this several days we've been receiving some threaten from the God Generals of Millennium." He answered.

"God Generals…of Millennium!?" Ken asked, "Who are they?"

"I didn't quite sure, but there are six of them, all of them wearing cloaks, they claimed themselves as the servants of Millennium." Gomamon replied.

"Well, let me the one who explains all to you." A voice echoed from their back, which made all of them jumped in surprised.

"Gennai!?" Miyako yelled, "How many times do I have to tell you not to appear behind us and startle us!?"

"That's not important, we can talk it later." Gennai ignored Miyako's complain about him and continued, "The Sovereigns have found the way to purify that curse seal."

"We've already known that." Daisuke stated impatiently, "But how?"

"Calm down, let me explain to you slowly, children!" Gennai replied.

"C'mon, tell us already!" Takeru stated.

"Very well then." Gennai closed his eyes and began to explain.

"In the beginning of this world as you've already known, Fanglongmon created the Four Sovereigns and let them to rule the four quadrants of this world. The central region was dedicated to Fanglongmon." Gennai explained.

"Yeah, we've already known that!" Ken answered, "So, what's your point here?"

"By the time he created them…," Gennai continued his story, ignoring Ken's question, "He's also created the sanctum of sun or Sol Sanctum. In there, he stored the heart of all the positive powers here, the pure essence of sacred power. We called it the Light of Eden, and then he sealed it until the time when this world is in a great danger. It is said that the sanctum itself can only be opened by the inheritors of Fanglongmon's Crests, but I didn't sure about it, since no one has ever gone there, including the Sovereigns. The sanctum itself is full of riddles and heavily guarded." Gennai explained.

"So, if we can get that Light of Eden, we can purify the curse on Veemon?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, and it can be used to eliminate the dark energy here, too!" Gennai replied.

"Did the Lord of Millennium know about this?" Takeru asked him.

"I don't think that he know and care about it, but we need to stay on guard. He must have planned something to capture Veemon sooner or later!" Gennai answered.

"One question." Daisuke asked, "Where is that place? And how can we get there?"

"Don't worry about that. Azulongmon itself will teleport you all to the place, the place itself is in the central region, in the centre of Digital World." Gennai stated. (A/N: I know that in anime, traveling from one region to the others isn't possible, but in this fic, I'll make it possible, but by using the power of the Sovereigns, of course.)

"I'll take you all to the Dragon's Gate to meet Azulongmon, but I have to tell you that this is the dangerous journey. You need to fully prepare yourself because in this journey, it is possible that we have to face the God Generals of Millennium, the faithful servants of Lord of Millennium." Gennai warned them.

"Aww, shuck, we've faced many challenges to protect this world, and we are still alive, so we're ready to dace it!" Veemon shouted.

"Yes, if we face it together, no one can beat us." Hawkmon added.

"Let's do it!!" Armadillomon, Patamon, and Gatomon shouted.

"Okay then, I'll give this Digicore to you all; you'll need this power to face them." Gennai drew Azulongmon's Digicore and gave it to them, "And then, let's go!"

* * *

Digital World, Dragon's Gate…

"Azulongmon, I've brought the DigiDestined here as your command." Gennai stated.

"Okay, then, children, are you ready? Once I teleport you into the central region, I can't protect you anymore, you've to be fully prepared!" the blue, long dragon stated.

"Yes, we've fully prepared to face whatever waiting for us, otherwise we'll not here now!!" Daisuke shouted.

"Then I shall teleport you all to the Central Region. Beware, Central Region has no Sovereign for now, so be careful!!" Azulongmon warned them.

"I know, I know, sheesh, can't you trust us a little more?" Daisuke muttered.

"Okay then, let's begin!" Azulongmon closed all of his four eyes, concentrating, and then with a blast of light, the DigiDestined, including Gennai, vanished into thin air.

"Children, good luck!!" Azulongmon stated, and then he began to meditate again.

* * *

Digital World, Central Region…

"So, this IS the central region?" Daisuke asked Gennai confusedly. His curiosity was reasonable, because the central region wasn't as glamour as he thought before. The only scenery he could see was endless wasteland as far as he could see. (A/N: I'm not quite sure about this one, mainly because I've never heard about the central region. If any of you knew that, please inform me )

"Yes, why do you ask?" he replied.

"Well, I think that central region should be more lovely that the other regions, but what's this!? Just a wasteland as far as you can see!" Daisuke stated.

"Yeah, I think so." Ken added.

"Well, like Azulongmon said before, this area has no Sovereign for a thousand years, so what do you expect?" Gennai asked them back.

"Yeah, I think I understand." Iori replied.

"Okay then, let's move everyone! The faster we can get the Light of Eden, the better!" Takeru stated.

"You're right! Let's go!" Veemon shouted chirpily.

So, they explored this region. This area was so quiet that they could hear their footsteps' voice echoed. One hour later…

"Gennai, just how far do we have to walk?" Miyako whined, "Oh no, my hair is ruined." She continued as the wind blew, scattering sand into them and making her hair dirty. Gennai glanced a little on them, but he kept walking and ignoring them (as always!)

Daisuke snickered a little when she said that, but Hikari kept glaring at him, so he stopped it.

"Hikari, I think you are too harsh to our Daisuke." Takeru stated.

"But I have to; otherwise Daisuke can't control his attitude!" Hikari replied.

"Err, you've got a point there." Takeru sweatdropped seeing Daisuke had to hold himself not to tease Miyako again.

"Gennai, are you deaf!? I asked you how far we've to walk!!" Miyako exploded.

"Calm down, Miyako-chan, with your voice like that, you could wake up even the monster 300 miles from here!" Ken tried to calm her.

"I have to admit though, this journey is tiring." Hikari sighed, and suddenly she leant on Takeru's shoulder, making him blushed a little, "Oopps, sorry Takeru-kun, I didn't mean that!" Hikari blushed and quickly moved away. Luckily, Daisuke was busy looking at Miyako so he couldn't spot this rare moment.

"Uhm, it's okay, really!!" Takeru quickly replied, "If you are tired, just lean on me!"

"Uhm, no thanks, I'm fine, thanks for concerning about me!" Hikari answered, still blushing.

Gennai stopped for awhile and glanced at them. It looked like that they were getting a little tired and mostly boring! Well, had to admit that this wasteland was quieter than exam's room.

"Are you getting tired yet?" he asked them.

"No, please continue!" Daisuke quickly replied.

"Hey, old bastard, you haven't answered my question yet!" Miyako spat crankily at Gennai, "How far do we have to walk?"

"I think we'll have to walk at least two more hours to reach the Sol Sanctum." Gennai replied calmly, although he was just called 'old bastard'.

"TWO MORE HOURS!? YOU MUST BE KIDDING!!" Miyako yelled.

"No, why should I lie to you?" Gennai replied and continued to walk again while the others jawdropped.

* * *

"Aww, this is boring. I hope we can get some entertainment." Veemon whined as he walked.

"Oyy, what do you mean by that?" Wormmon asked him.

"Well, I mean that we should fight one or two Digimon before we reach that sanctum!" Veemon replied cheerily.

"You're kidding me!" Tentomon muttered, "Why should we waste our energy before getting to Sol Sanctum? Didn't you hear Azulongmon said that the sanctum itself was heavily guarded?"

"Just for warm up, of course!" he replied chirpily, which made all of them sweatdropped.

"Well, what do you know? Our Veemon has returned to normal." Armadillomon sighed.

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Gomamon asked him.

"Well, yesterday Veemon was so gloomy, acting like the other people, you know, but looks like he has returned to himself today." Armadillomon replied.

"So, Veemon can be gloomy too? I've never heard it before." Gomamon stated teasingly.

"Of course he can, he isn't like you, barging and messing with everything!" Hawkmon added.

"How rude! I've led a very troubled live, you know!" Gomamon said sarcastically.

"You would be…" Hawkmon and Armadillomon replied just as sarcastic as Gomamon's, which made Gomamon couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Meanwhile, Patamon and Gatomon walked a little far from those groups. Veemon, Wormmon, and Tentomon kept arguing about how boring they were, while Hawkmon, Armadillomon, and Gomamon kept teasing to each other. They sweatdropped seeing that.

"Well, what do you know? I think only us who are sane here." Gatomon stated.

"Yeah, I guess so." Patamon sweatdropped as they heard Hawkmon yelled when Gomamon teased him again, "Especially because we have our joker of the deck who can make everyone insane!" he added.

"Patamon…." Suddenly Gatomon asked, "I wonder how long we have become friends? I mean we have so many in common, oh, am I lucky I have friend like you."

Patamon became quiet for awhile, and his brain began to talk again_, 'Hey Patamon, this is a good chance, admit it!'_

'_What? But there's nothing for me to admit. I mean I like her, but as friend only.' _Patamon thought.

'_Yeah, and I'm a demon.' _His brain replied sarcastically.

'_Aww, can you quit bothering me?' _Patamon thought again.

'_C'mon, admit it, it's not so hard, right? I mean, if you love her, tell her what you feel about her, before it's too late.' _Patamon's brain stated.

'_But she might not like me, you know. She might like Veemon, and I don't want to hurt Veemon's feeling as well.' _Patamon replied.

'_Yeah, act like that forever, and you'll never express your feeling on her. C'mon, just admit it.'_ Patamon's brain kept annoys him.

"Patamon, what's wrong with you? You look a little pale? Did you get sick?" Gatomon asked him, snapping him out.

"N-n-no, I'm okay, thanks for concerning about me." Patamon replied, blushed a little.

"Ah, you must have caught a cold. Let me see it!" Gatomon rubbed Patamon's head, which made Patamon blushed even more.

"Gatomon, I have something to tell you." Patamon blushed madly, which made Gatomon glanced a bit questioning.

"Huh? Go ahead, I'll listen it!" Gatomon replied.

"I-I-I…" Patamon tried to tell her that he loved her, but looked like his voice couldn't come out for his throat.

"Yeah?" Gatomon asked again.

"I-I-I…lo-" Patamon tried again, but suddenly Veemon shouted, "Hey, you two, if you are so slow like that, you'll be lost."

"Okay, okay, we're coming. Let's go, Patamon! Oh yeah, what do you want to tell me anyway?" Gatomon asked again.

"Never mind. I'll tell you next time, okay?" Patamon snapped out and then they rushed to catch on with the others.

'_Shuck, what a blasted joy! That was a very good chance and you spoiled it completely.' _Patamon's brain began to echo again.

'_Hey you, go find someone for you to be bothered, will ya?' _Patamon thought angrily.

'_But I'm your brain, genius, how can I bother someone else instead of you?' _his brain replied sarcastically.

'_Then shut up, you hear me, shut up!' _Patamon thought angrily.

'_Fine, you're the boss, but don't blame me if she fall on Veemon, okay?' _his brain stated.

'_I'll think about it later, now be quiet!' _Patamon ended the fight with his brain and continued to walk with Gatomon.

* * *

Two hours had passed, and finally they saw a huge ruin in the middle of the desert. Yes, that was Sol Sanctum, the sanctum of Sun.

"Gennai, is that what we are looking for?" Jyou asked Gennai.

"Yes, now what we have to do is to find the entrance." Gennai replied.

So they searched the entrance. There was a huge symbol of Sun in front of the ruin, indicated that the sanctum was dedicated to the Sun. there was an entrance there, but the door is tightly locked.

"What the hell the meaning of this!" Daisuke stated impatiently, "We've walked almost half a day only to find that the sanctum is locked?"

"Wait, there's a stone tablet carved with some runic character there. Let's see if we can find a clue about this." Ken pointed a stone tablet near the entrance. There were also four empty altars there with the symbol fish, human, dragon, and bird there.

"Let me see it!" Koushiro drew his laptop and began to analyze the symbols there.

"Okay, we're counting on you!" Iori stated.

"Hmm, let's see, these characters are easier to translate than the one I found in File Island. Okay, the translation is finished!" Koushiro said.

"What did it say?" Takeru asked.

"Well, it said like this: _'You, who seek for divine power, open your heart and listen carefully. If you wish to reach the heaven, you must prove yourself worthy. Set the four spirit flame on, and the door shall be opened for you!'_." Koushiro replied.

"What is the meaning of that?" Hikari asked.

"It means that we have to search for the elemental spirit and set the flame on these four altars." Gennai explained, "You see, there are four of them, the spirit of earth, water, fire, and wind."

"WHAT!?" Everyone shouted.

* * *

A/N: So how's that? It took me long time to think about that. Sorry if I made any mistakes again, so please correct me via reviews.

About the other older DigiDestined, I'll add it on my next chapter, including Mimi and Willis, as you readers requested.

As the other writers say, I beg all of my readers to read and review my story. Any critiques are welcomed, don't be afraid to critique me, especially if it is an improvement critique, I'll appreciate it! So, please review!!


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Here's a new chapter! Sorry again for a little late update, I've got a good game, so I spent many hours to play it.

Thanks for all of my readers and reviewers, you really make me so happy! Also, thanks for all the suggestions and corrections!

Disclaimer: Again? Fine, I don't own Digimon. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation and its creator Akiyoshi Hongo. I only own this fiction of mine.

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story. Please read and review!!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Zephyr Tower**

"What do you mean by that!?" Ken asked confusedly.

"Do you think you can take the sacred power so easily?" Gennai asked, "I don't think so, because anyone can take this power if they can freely enter the sanctum."

"But, this is emergency!" Daisuke stated angrily, "We can't afford to lose anymore time just for searching these stupid spirits. The cursed seal on Veemon might get perfect before we can eliminate it!"

"I know that!" Gennai replied, "But look at the situation! If you want to protest, you have to do it to Fanglongmon!"

"But his whereabouts is unknown, right?" Takeru suggested, "How can you try to protest to the one who even doesn't exist for now?"

"Exactly!" Gennai answered, "So that leaves us to choice to search the four elemental spirits and set them on this altar."

"But to where?" Miyako asked him.

"Hmm, good question we have there." Koushiro commented, "This stone tablet didn't tell us where to look them."

They thought it for awhile. Yes, they were clueless. The stone tablet didn't tell them, but suddenly Jyou had an idea in his brain.

"Hey, I think I have a clue for this one!" Jyou stated, "We have to search for four elemental spirits, right? Don't you think this has a relationship with the Four Guardians or Sovereigns?" he suggested.

"Hmm, good one, Jyou!" Koushiro replied, "I know that The Four Sovereigns' names are derived from the four quadrants of the sky in the night, but hearing you said that, I think their existence is more than that!"

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked him confusedly.

"I mean, just look at their elements. Each of them represents one of the four basic elements!" Koushiro replied.

"Yes, that's more like it. I think Azulongmon has wind element, Zhuqiaomon has fire element, Baihumon has earth element, and Ebonwumon has water/ice element." Jyou replied, "Perhaps they own the four spirits to open this sanctum!"

"So, our next job is to ask the Sovereigns about this, right?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, and let's return to the Eastern Region and see if Azulongmon has any clue for this!" Ken suggested.

"Using what?" Takeru asked them, "Remember, we got here because Azulongmon teleported us!"

"Don't worry about that!" Gennai answered, "Before Azulongmon teleported us, he gave this Teleport Lapis for us to return to Eastern Region. Now let's gather around!" he commanded them.

"Are you ready?" Gennai asked them.

"We're ready!" all of the, including their Digimon shouted.

"Okay, here we go!" he shouted, and with a blink of light, they vanished.

* * *

Digital World, Eastern Region, Dragon's Gate…

"Hmm, children, I see you've returned. Have you retrieved the Light of Eden?" Azulongmon asked the DigiDestined as they arrived.

"Hell, no, you didn't tell us that we had to retrieve the four elemental spirits to open that stupid sanctum!" Daisuke spat.

Azulongmon blinked and glanced at him seriously for awhile, and then stated, "Well, I suppose I forget to tell you about that!" His statement made all of them did anime drops.

"Now he's speaking of that!" Ken sweatdropped.

"Now, our question, where can we find the four elemental spirits we needed to open the Sol Sanctum?" Takeru asked.

"You mean Undine, Gnome, Sylph, and Salamander?" Azulongmon said, "Well, Fanglongmon created them in the past and sealed them in the four place: Sylph is sealed in The Zephyr Tower in this region, Undine in the Aqua Temple-North Region, Gnome in the Gaia Rock-Western Region, and Salamander in the Iris Shrine-South Region." He chanted them one by one. (A/N: I don't quite sure about the spirit of fire, so please tell me if you know it!)

"What!? He SEALED them in four different places and regions!?" Daisuke surprised.

"Yes, Fanglongmon sealed them in this way to test the ability of people who wanted to release that power." Azulongmon replied.

'_Damn that Fanglongmon; in emergency situation like this, he can still play his trick on us. I'm getting sick of him.' _Daisuke thought.

"So, first we have to prove ourselves worthy enough to retrieve the Light of Eden?" Hikari asked.

"Yes, and there's no way we Sovereigns can help you with this one. Now, you need to go, first to the Zephyr Tower. The tower itself lies in the south of this gate, you can see it from here." Azulongmon pointed at the south, to a tower surrounded with mist in its top.

"How can we get there?" Jyou asked.

"Don't tell me that we have to walk again!" Miyako whined.

"Hmm, maybe we can fly to reach that tower!" Koushiro suggested.

""Yeah, it's better than walking!" Takeru stated.

"Okay then, good luck, my children!" Azulongmon stated, "I'll try to get Zhuqiaomon, Baihumon, and Ebonwumon to guide you in their regions (although I don't sure that they'll help you, especially Zhuqiaomon!)!"

"Let's go!" Daisuke shouted, "Are you ready!?" he asked Veemon.

"Anytime!" Veemon replied chirpily.

"Let's digivolve!" Patamon shouted.

DIGIVOLUTION…

Veemon digivolved into…ExVeemon!

Hawkmon digivolved into…Aquilamon!

Tentomon digivolved into…Kabuterimon!

Wormmon digivolved into…Stingmon!

ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION…

Patamon armor digivolved into…Pegasusmon, the Flying Hope!

Gatomon armor digivolved into…Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!

"Let's go!" Daisuke shouted again.

"Umm, Takeru, would you like to ride with me in Nefertimon?" Hikari asked, "Let Iori, Armadillomon, Jyou, and Gomamon ride on Pegasusmon."

Takeru blushed a little and replied, "As long as it's okay for you, I think it's okay for me."

"Good then, let's go." Hikari pulled Takeru's hand and then they rode Nefertimon together.

"Shit, just why did Hikari ask T.J. to ride with her and not me?" Daisuke cursed as he rode on ExVeemon.

"Why, did I sense some jealously feeling on my sweet partner?" ExVeemon joked.

"What did you say!?" Daisuke asked angrily.

"Oh, come on, admit it! You. Are. Jealous. Of. Him!" ExVeemon replied chirpily.

"Like you are not jealous when Gatomon and Patamon is getting along so well!" Daisuke said with sarcastic tone.

"Well, of course I'm jealous, Dai-chan, but I'm not like you that express your jealousness like that." ExVeemon replied again with teasingly tone.

"Stop teasing me, will ya? And stop calling me with that stupid nickname!" Daisuke exploded.

"Why, I find it's very amusing, and it's very cute nickname too, Dai-chan, Dai-chan!" ExVeemon teased him with a sing sang voice, making Daisuke boiling.

* * *

Sigh "There they go again." Ken sweatdropped, watching Daisuke and ExVeemon.

"Well, I find it's very interesting though." Stingmon snickered, "Without them, this journey will be very boring."

"Maybe you're right." Ken couldn't hold his laughter anymore, "They are very amusing."

* * *

After awhile, finally they arrived in the Zephyr Tower. Nothing special in its outer appearance, the only interesting part on this tower was the wind symbol on its entrance. After they landed, all the Digimon dedigivolved into their rookie form (champion for Gatomon).

"Oh, please, don't tell me we have to climb into the aerie!" Miyako whined.

"Okay then, I won't tell you!" Daisuke stated.

"Who asked you anyway!?" Miyako spat.

"Why you, nerdette!" Daisuke bit back, but Hikari stopped both of them.

"Listen, I don't want to interrupt your personal business, but we are in the middle of important mission, so can you save it for later? I mean, we need the Light of Eden as soon as we can!" Hikari reminded both of them.

"She's right!" Takeru added.

Daisuke and Miyako kept silent for awhile, then both of them nodded, "Yeah, you're right, let's go!"

"Gennai, do we have to climb this tower?" Koushiro asked.

"I don't think so." Gennai replied, "Let's go inside and see what we should do!"

So, they went inside and saw a warp device shining in the middle of the room.

"So, Koushiro, did that answer your question?" Gennai asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Koushiro replied.

"What should we do now?" Veemon asked.

"For this floor, we just need to step into the warp device and I think we should advance to the next floor." Koushiro replied.

"You 'think'?" Ken asked.

"Don't blame me, there's no sign here that explain to where we can go with this warp device, so we have to try it!" Koushiro shrugged.

"Yeah, we don't have many choices, there's no stairs or ladders here!" Jyou added.

"Then it has been decided, let's use this device!" Daisuke shouted, and all of them nodded.

All of them stepped on the warp device, and with a blink of light, they vanished into thin air.

* * *

Digital World, Eastern Region, Zephyr Tower, 2F…

"So here we are." Daisuke stated as they reappeared in the second floor of Zephyr Tower, "What the hell is this?" he asked, surprised at the landscape of the second floor.

Yes, different from the first floor, big sandstone stood above the warp device (strange, the stone didn't get teleported away). Not too far from there, there was a yellow stone and a sign in there. Like the first floor, there were no stairs and ladders here.

"Hmm, looks like we have to get rid of this stone before the warp device becomes active." Takeru checked the warp device.

"But how?" Ken asked.

"Maybe the answer is on that yellow stone." Koushiro stated as he checked on his laptop, "But, strange, my laptop couldn't identify that yellow stone."

"So that yellow stone is special, eh?" Jyou asked.

"Maybe, but let's check it!" Koushiro replied.

So they checked the yellow stone, but there was nothing special about that stone, or that was their thoughts until…

"Hey, everyone, read this!" suddenly Daisuke shouted.

"Huh, what?" Takeru asked, "Oh, the sign, I almost forget about it!"

"Yeah, this stone is called wind stone." Daisuke stated, "The sign said that the stone can manipulate the power of wind and strengthen it!"

"Huh, you said that the stone can magnify the power of wind, but how can we make wind?" Takeru asked confusedly.

"Did you forget something?" Patamon flew into his shoulder, "I can generate wind with my Boom Bubble attack!"

"Hey, good idea, Patamon!" Takeru shouted, "Try it on the wind stone, maybe something will happen!"

"Okay, here we go, Boom Bubble!!" Patamon shouted, firing his wind attack, but strange, it was stronger and bigger than usual, and when the Boom Bubble hit the wind stone, the Boom Bubble became even bigger than before, grinding away the sand stone.

"Wow, good work, Pata!" Gatomon shouted in amazedly, which of course made Patamon blush a little.

"Whoa, that's a strong Boom Bubble!" Takeru commented, "How can you do that?"

"I don't know." Patamon shrugged, "In fact I feel stronger as we entered this tower, and in additional, I don't feel tired at all after using that Boom Bubble."

"Anyway, let's go, we shouldn't waste more time here!" Ken stated.

"Yes, we can discuss it later. Our purpose is to retrieve Sylph as soon as possible!" Koushiro added.

And like before, all of them moved to the warp device, and then they got teleported to the next floor. The next floor was almost the same as the second one, but more wind stones and more riddles. They could solve it with ease, though. Also, there was purple stone which had to be electrocuted to activate the warp device. Well, if this wasn't for emergency, this was very interesting, solving many riddles to advance to the next level, but the situation didn't allow them to enjoy this.

* * *

Digital World, Eastern Region, Zephyr Tower ??F

"How much more have we climbed this tower?" Daisuke whined as they reach another stage in this tower. They had lost count at the tenth floor and that was definitely long time ago.

"Yeah, I'm tired!" Hawkmon added.

"Quiet, both of you! We are all tired, stop whining like that!" Miyako scolded them.

"Well, I don't feel tired at all!" Patamon stated chirpily although he had used his Boom Bubble at least two times in each floor.

Everyone glanced questionably at Patamon. Normally, after used so many energy like that, Digimon would be very tired that they couldn't keep their rookie form, but this time, Patamon was an exception.

"Boy, seeing Patamon like that only makes me more tired!" Veemon muttered.

"Yeah, how can he not feel tired at all?" Armadillomon asked, "That's very different with me, looks like this tower saps my strength faster than everyone else's."

"Huh, is that even possible?" Gomamon asked.

"I don't know, but when I stepped inside this tower, I felt that I needed to use my strength twice as much as usual!"

"Maybe just your feeling, c'mon Armadillomon, I think we nearly reach the top of this tower!" Iori encouraged his partner.

"That's what you say a half hour ago!" Armadillomon protested.

"C'mon, hang in there just a little more, buddy!" Iori smiled.

Finally, after they walked so far, they found a door. This was the first time they'd ever found door in this tower. The wind symbol they'd saw in the entrance was carved beautifully in there. Now the problem was how to open this door, because it appeared to be locked and had no keyhole at all.

"Now what should we do?" Takeru asked.

"Hey, there are some strange runic symbols carved here!" Ken pointed at the small panel at the wall next to door.

"Hmm, let's see!" Koushiro began to translate the runic symbols in the wall, "Well, this is the translation: _'Wielder of wind power, lay your hand on this door! If th'art worthy, the door shall be opened for you!'._"

"Wielder of wind power? You mean Patamon?" Daisuke asked.

"Maybe, let's try it, Patamon!" Takeru encouraged his partner.

"Okay, here we go!" Patamon touched the door.

Soon after he touched the door, it shined brightly. Everyone glanced amazedly as the door began to open.

"Alright, way to go, Patamon!" Veemon shouted chirpily.

"Now, let's go!" Daisuke stated.

* * *

The hall itself was very big. In the center of this room, there was a beautiful symbol of wind, just like the one in the door before.

"Who are you?" a voice echoed from nowhere they could see.

"Huh? Who is there?" Gatomon asked.

"A visitor? Is that you…Fanglongmon?" that voice replied.

"Nope, we're not him. Please, reveal yourself so we can see you, Sylph!" Gennai stated calmly.

Slowly, in the wind symbol a silhouette appeared in form of bird. She was just like a smaller version of Phoenixmon with green aura surrounded her. Everyone gazed at her in admiration.

"Oh, Gennai, long time not to see you, and who are they?" she asked.

"Well, they are DigiDestined." Gennai replied, "They are the ones who protected this world from destruction."

"DigiDestined?" Sylph asked, "So what brings you here, children?"

"Please, Sylph, we need your help! The Lord of Millennium has once again risen again, and he put a curse seal on my partner, we need you to retrieve the Light of Eden to remove it." Daisuke explained.

"Light of Eden? Oh yeah, the purest holy power of the Digital World." Sylph nodded, "But I'm afraid I can't go with you yet, not until I can trust you all!"

"Sylph, I understand that you must obey Fanglongmon's command to test anyone who wants to retrieve the Light of Eden, but this is emergency, if we are late, this world could be destroyed." Gennai tried to persuade her.

"But Gennai, how can I know their strength if I didn't test them?" she asked again.

"Well, if you want a guarantee, Azulongmon will explain it to you once we get back to the Dragon's Gate." Gennai replied.

"Yeah, please, we need your help!" Hikari stated.

Sylph thought for awhile and finally she said, "Okay then, if Azulongmon believes on them, I don't see why I can't trust them, I'll travel with you!"

"Really?" Takeru asked, "Thanks Sylph!"

"You're welcome!" she said, "But I'm not quite sure whether my other partners would join you without a fight, especially Gnome and Salamander, they are hardheaded ones!"

"We'll worry about it later! Now let's return to Azulongmon!" Ken stated.

"What should we do?" Daisuke asked, "Do we have to use that warp device once again?"

"No, you shouldn't. I shall teleported all of us into Dragon's Gate!" Sylph replied, "Now gather in the center!"

"Okay, here we go!" She shouted, and all of them vanished.

* * *

Digital World, Dragon's Gate…

"Children, you've returned!" Azulongmon stated as they appeared in front of them, "And you've brought Sylph with you!"

"Oh, it's an honor to see you, Lord Azulongmon!" Sylph stated.

"So, what should we do for the next?" Daisuke asked.

"Well, I haven't met the other Sovereigns, so maybe it'll take a time before you can search the next spirits. You need them to at least guide you!" Azulongmon stated.

"I thought so." Takeru added, "All of us are tired after climbing the Zephyr Tower, so maybe we should take a rest for awhile."

"Yeah, just look at the time! It's almost six o'clock in the evening. We'd better go home, or else our parents will be very angry!" Hikari reminded them.

"Okay the, let's return to the real world!" Daisuke stated.

'"How about you, Sylph?" Patamon asked her.

"I'll stay here with Lord Azulongmon until you collect all of my friends. You won't need me until then, right?" she replied.

"Yes, I think so." Veemon stated, "Let's go then!"

"Okay!" all of them replied and then Daisuke opened the Digiport to transport them back into real world, leaving Sylph and Azulongmon alone.

"Milord, can I trust them right away like this? I mean, I haven't tested them and yet you ask me to believe on them." Sylph asked.

"Well, I trust them that they will not misuse the Light of Eden. After all, they are DigiDestined, the chosen ones who will once again save this world!" Azulongmon answered.

"Okay, if you say so, Milord, I'll trust them!" Sylph stated, although she was still unsure about it.

* * *

Digital World, World of Darkness…

"So, you said that they went to Central Region to search for the Light of Eden?" Lord of Millennium asked his servant, Gryphonmon.

"Yes, and it appeared that they couldn't go inside the Sol Sanctum before hey acquired the four elemental spirits." Gryphonmon replied.

"Good then, GigaSeadramon has brought me the other two we needed for the ultimate destruction, so it's time for us to capture that Veemon!" Lord of Millennium stated.

"Do you have any plan for this, Milord?" Gryphonmon asked.

"Yes, we'll set each of my humble servants in the place where the spirits are kept, and then they'll destroy the DigiDestined and bring Veemon to me!" he laughed maliciously.

"I understand!" Gryphonmon replied and then he flew away.

Well, the God Generals of Millennium were finally made their movement…

* * *

A/N: finally this chapter is finished. Well, how's that? I didn't blame you if you say that this chapter is boring in the absence of battle. But don't worry, in the next chapter, there'll be a great battle with the God General of Millennium.

Sorry if in this chapter I can't do any pairing, I'll do it on the next chapter. Also, sorry if I can't tell you who are the other two who get captured.

Anyway, please read and review!!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Chapter 7 is up! I hope this chapter isn't as boring as before, and sorry for the late update, I've been very busy nowadays.

Thanks for all of my reviewers, thanks for any suggestions and critiques. Sorry if in the past I offended any of my readers with something inappropriate. To avoid any misconceptions again, I'll make a few changes in this chapter.

In this chapter, I'll try avoiding using too many swearing or cursing, but being a T-rated story; I can use a little swearing or cursing, right?

Disclaimer: Again? Fine, I don't own Digimon, even though I wish I am. Digimon is owned by Toei Animation and its creator Akiyoshi Hongo.

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story. Oh, yeah, please read and review, OK?

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**New Enemy!**

Digital World, Dragon's Gate…

"Oh, I see you've come, Zhuqiaomon! I need your help!" Azulongmon stated as he saw the giant, phoenix-like Digimon entered the Dragon's Gate.

"Help? What do you mean by that?" Zhuqiaomon asked in curiosity.

"You see, to enter the Sol Sanctum and retrieve the Light of Eden, they need to gather the four elements." Azulongmon replied.

"So, what's your point here?" Zhuqiaomon asked again with a little rude tone. Rude and arrogant, those are Zhuqiaomon's nature.

"I need you to guide the DigiDestined to find the Iris' Shrine. That's in your region, right?" Azulongmon asked back.

Zhuqiaomon felt his jaw dropped in pure horror. Surely Azulongmon didn't ask him to _chaperone _the DigiDestined. No, never, he would never do that, even in the critical situation; those brats had to find their way themselves. He hadn't forgotten the trouble that Tamers, yes, they called themselves as ones, who had messed up everything in his region, caused in the past. And now, a bunch of annoying **brats** once again tried to invade his territory.

"You…you're kidding me!" Zhuqiaomon's eyes widened as he said that, "Surely you didn't ask me to…to let them messed up with my region once more!"

"Nope, I only ask you to show them the way to Iris' Shrine. Only that, no more, but, oh yeah, I think you need to convince Salamander to trust them." Azulongmon replied.

"Why should I?" Zhuqiaomon replied rudely, "I tell you, I am not like you, always has a soft spot on humans, I NEVER trust humans, they can only bring nothing but TROUBLE!" He yelled.

"But you trust the Tamers, right?" The blue, long dragon asked, "You aided them to defeat D-Reaper in their world!"

"Hah, that's only because you convinced me to help them! I never had an intention to believe at them, never! They had destroyed half of my region with their annoying Digimon partners!!" Zhuqiaomon shouted angrily.

"Is that so?" Azulongmon replied, "They saved our world, you know!"

"Hah, barely. No matter how you convince me, I'll never guide them. Tell them to search it by themselves!" Zhuqiaomon growled.

"Even if this leads to the destruction of our world? You see, the Lord of Millennium doesn't only target my region, but all regions, including yours, so we need to stop him." Azulongmon tried to convince his hardheaded friend.

Zhuqiaomon was silent for awhile. He was right! The Lord of Millennium would destroy not only Eastern Region, but also all the Digital World. But the problem was he still couldn't trust humans, and yet the situation forced him to do so. After hard fighting with his ego, finally…

"Gaah, fine, you win! Just tell those blasted brats that I'll guide them!" Zhuqiaomon spat irritably.

"So, you agree to guide them in your region?" Azulongmon asked to make sure.

"Yes, but in my way, don't you dare questioning me in how! Just tell them so, or I'll retract my statement!!" Zhuqiaomon spat.

"Good then, I'll tell them to meet you in the Phoenix's Gate!" Azulongmon said.

"What!? I wouldn't allow them to mess in my place! Pick another place!" Zhuqiaomon protested.

"Fine, I'll tell them to meet you here, and you'll transport them to your region! Agree?" Azulongmon sighed.

"Do it as you will! Now I'll go back to Phoenix's Gate!" Zhuqiaomon scowled, "I must prepare it carefully, I don't want they mess up my territory again like those damned Tamers did!" and then he flew away.

"There he goes! He's always like that. I wonder if this encounter will change him." Azulongmon sweat dropped seeing his friend's behavior.

* * *

Real World, Odaiba… 

"Hey, everybody! I've got a message from Gennai!" Iori stated after school, "He said that it's time to search another spirit!"

""Now what?" Daisuke asked.

"According to him, now we'll search the spirit of fire, Salamander!" Iori replied.

"Salamander? So we'll go to South Region, right?" Ken stated.

"Yup, and hey, I've got a reply from Willis, he said that he was sorry that he couldn't help us because he was in the middle of his exam week." Iori replied.

"What a pity! I have missed him." Daisuke stated.

"Anyway, let's call the older DigiDestined and see if they can help us again!" Miyako shouted.

"Yeah, I've talked this problem to my brother yesterday, and seems that he is willing to help us!" Hikari stated.

"Yeah, I've talked to my brother, too." Takeru added, "Hope that they can join us!"

"I'll call you all when we are ready!" Iori ended the conversation, and then they left the school.

* * *

"Veemon, get ready, we'll search the next spirit!" Daisuke stated as he got to his home. Veemon, as always, was watching television. 

"Great! We're one step ahead to remove this stupid seal!" Veemon cheered. However, the cursed seal in his right hand had grown bigger and bigger as days passed on. Nightmares were haunting him even more, but he could endure, thanks to Patamon.

"Yeah, we need to get the Light of Eden as soon as possible before Lord of Millennium can do something bad to you!" Daisuke replied. In fact, he was very worried at Veemon, because now he often awakened in the night because of the nightmares, and the curse seal on Veemon had grown stronger and stronger.

"BTW, Daisuke, where are we going to this time?" Veemon asked.

"I think Iori said that we would look for Salamander, that means that we are going to South Region!" Daisuke replied.

"South Region? Are you sure?" Veemon asked curiously.

"Yes, and Gennai said that Zhuqiaomon would guide us, so he wouldn't come with us this time." Daisuke replied.

"Zhuqiaomon? Guide us? You must be kidding!" Veemon snickered.

"Huh, what's so funny with that?" Daisuke asked back.

"Maybe you don't know, but every Sovereign has their own attitudes. Unlike Azulongmon, Zhuqiaomon doesn't…uh…like humans very much!" Veemon explained.

"Are you sure? But Gennai said that he would guide us!" Daisuke protested.

"Well, if he does, I'll eat your goggles!" Veemon replied.

"Daisuke, you get a phone calling!" Jun shouted before Daisuke could replied, "It's from Takeru!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" Daisuke answered, "Wait here, buddy!"

"Okay!" Veemon replied cheerily.

'_I wonder what gotten on Zhuqiaomon. He will guide us? If this isn't an emergency like this, I won't believe that! Usually he doesn't like to know even if in critical situation.' _Veemon thought.

"Veemon, let's go!" Daisuke shouted, "T.J. said that we should gather in his home!"

"Okay, I'm coming!" Veemon shouted back.

* * *

Takeru's house… 

"Hi guys, sorry to make you…wait?" Daisuke stopped because he actually saw Taichi, Sora, and Yamato there.

"Oh, hi Daisuke! Surprised to see us?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, after hearing your story, we decide to join you once again! To save our Digital World!" Taichi stated.

"Well, that's nice for all of you, but…how about your exams?" Daisuke asked.

"We'll worry about them later, besides, we have two days off before going on to the next exam!" Yamato explained.

"So, what should we do for now?" Sora asked.

"Well, we need to find four elemental spirits." Iori explained, "And so far, we have found Sylph, the elemental spirit of wind."

"And now, Azulongmon asked us to find the elemental spirit of Fire, Salamander. According to him, Salamander is located in the Iris' Shrine in the South Region." Ken added.

"South Region? Are we capable to go there?" Yamato asked.

"Oh yes we are, with the help of Sovereign, of course!" Koushiro explained.

"So, why should we wait anymore!? Let's go! Boy, I want to meet Agumon again!" Taichi shouted enthusiastically.

"So, you two finally can tell them, right?" Miyako asked Takeru and Hikari.

"Yeah, fortunately that they didn't have any exams for these two days, otherwise they'll ignore us again." Takeru smirked.

"Thanks to Jyou, he explained the situation to them yesterday, so they understood!" Hikari added.

"Are you ready?" Daisuke asked to all of them, "Let's go to Digital World!"

* * *

Digital World, East Region… 

"Boy, it's been a long time since we come here!" Taichi commented as they landed in the Digital World.

"Taichi!!" a voice exploded from his back. It was Agumon. He jumped into Taichi with joy.

"Hello Agumon! It's been a long time not to see you!" Taichi replied, "How are you, pal?"

"I myself am fine!" Agumon stated, "But…"

"But what?" Jyou asked.

"Hey, do you notice something strange?" Yamato asked, "I see neither Gabumon nor Biyomon here!"

"That's…" Agumon tried to explain.

"What's going on here?" Takeru asked.

"Well, you see, just yesterday, I went to see Biyomon, but her nest was destroyed. According to the other Digimon there, a giant, dragon like creature destroyed her nest and captured her." Agumon explained.

"What!?" Sora shocked, "Do you know where she is now?"

"Regretfully, I've searched her everywhere in this region, and I found nothing!" Agumon shook his head in regret.

"Do you know where Gabumon is, Agumon?" Yamato asked.

"I don't know." Agumon replied, "I was so worried about Biyomon that I didn't notice that Gabumon was missing too!"

"Sheesh, you're always no use in the time like this!" Yamato spat crankily.

"Hey, leave Agumon alone! It's not his fault that Gabumon was missing!" Taichi defended his partner.

"Oh yeah, you said that because Agumon is safe. Humph, all you care are only your business!" Yamato spat back.

"What did you say? Like you cared about the others too!" Taichi bit back, didn't want to lose. Everyone sweatdropped. Like always, these two always argued even for smallest problem. It was just like Daisuke and Miyako, but worse.

"Peace, both of you!!" Jyou yelled in annoyed, "We're in the middle of trouble, and you still have time to argue like that! How embarrassing!"

"Brother, please, we'll find him for sure!" Takeru tried to calm his brother, but Yamato only scowled at him.

"Brother, just how many times I told you to hold your temper!?" Hikari asked while dragging his brother away from Yamato.

"But, he offended Agumon!" Taichi tried to defend himself.

"That's okay, Taichi. I can take it!" Agumon replied, "Besides, I should have seen that Gabumon is missing too."

"Children, I've been waiting for you!" suddenly Gennai appeared in front of them, "Hmm, I see that Gabumon and Biyomon are missing."

"Gennai, where is my partner?" Yamato asked him impatiently.

"That's…according to our spy, a big, dragon like creature captured him yesterday, but I haven't figured out what that creature anyway." Gennai replied.

"Huh, that's the same as the creature that captured Biyomon, isn't it?" Agumon asked.

"Maybe yes, maybe not, anyway, let's go to Dragon's Gate! Zhuqiaomon has been waiting for you!" Gennai stated, "Don't worry about Gabumon and Biyomon. Our spy will find them soon!"

"Zhuqiaomon? Waiting for us? Are you kidding, Gennai?" Armadillomon asked confusedly, "I thought he didn't like humans very much."

"I'm not kidding!" Gennai replied, which left Veemon, Hawkmon, Wormmon, Patamon, and Gatomon confused, "Now let's go! Before Zhuqiaomon fry all of you! He doesn't like waiting, you know!"

"So, pal, ready to eat my goggles?" Daisuke snickered.

"No, wait till we meet him. I'm not quite sure about that!" Veemon stated nervously, while Daisuke laughed.

* * *

Digital World, East Region, Dragon's Gate… 

"Grr, where are those blasted brats!?" Zhuqiaomon grumbled angrily.

"Please wait for awhile, Zhuqiaomon! You haven't even waited for 5 minutes. Have faith on them!" Azulongmon tried to calm his comrade.

"Bah, faith, you say!? Zhuqiaomon never has faith on humans, even if they are the chosen ones!" Zhuqiaomon spat to deny it.

"Ah, there they are!" Azulongmon stated as Gennai brought the DigiDestined. Zhuqiaomon twitched his eyes. He couldn't believe that Azulongmon actually had a faith on them.

"Azulongmon, Zhuqiaomon, I've brought them!" Gennai stated.

"Good, Gennai, now continue your work!" Azulongmon commanded.

"As you wish!" Gennai replied, and then he vanished.

"Children, this is Zhuqiaomon, if you haven't known him yet. He'll guide you all in his region!" Azulongmon stated.

Zhuqiaomon let out a little unpleasant growl, indicated that actually he didn't like Azulongmon's idea of guiding them at all.

"Uhm, err, nice to see you, Zhuqiaomon!" Daisuke greeted him nervously.

Zhuqiaomon didn't answer it, he just merely gazed on the DigiDestined once more, "Humph, so you want to search for Salamander, huh?" he asked rudely. Such a **nice** impression for the first time they met.

"Uhm, yeah, do you know where he is?" Iori asked nervously.

"Yes, he's on my region, now come, quickly! I'll show you where he is!" Zhuqiaomon commanded impatiently.

Azulongmon could only sigh seeing Zhuqiaomon acting like that. Of course, he couldn't change Zhuqiaomon's attitudes; he could only hope that the DigiDestined would survive in the South Region, because he didn't know what Zhuqiaomon had actually planned.

"Come now!" Zhuqiaomon commanded them again, "We'll go to my region!" and with a blink of light, they vanished.

* * *

Digital World, South Region… 

"Here, you are!" Zhuqiaomon stated defiantly as they appeared in the South Region. The South Region itself didn't much different from East Region, or they thought so…

"So, Zhuqiaomon, where do we have to go from here?" Iori asked.

"Don't flatter yourself!" Zhuqiaomon growled, "And It's Zhuqiaomon-sama to you, brats!"

"See, I told you so!" Veemon whispered to Daisuke.

"Yeah, I think I understand now!" Daisuke sweatdropped.

"Now, listen all of you! This is the map of this area. I've marked down the Iris' Shrine for you. Now, Figure. It. Out. By. Yourself!" he spelled his words slowly to make sure they heard them all, "Got it? Good, I'll be waiting you all back here, of course, if you all can make it in one piece!" he stated sarcastically, and then he went away.

Everyone could only silent and sweatdropped seeing Zhuqiaomon acting like that. He is really different from Azulongmon.

"Wow, talk about ego!" Taichi commented broke the silence, sweatdropped.

"Yeah, he always likes that." Patamon sweatdropped, "But I can't imagine that he wants to be called 'Zhuqiaomon-sama', it's so…"

"So weird, you want to say that, Pata?" Gatomon asked. Patamon blushed; this was the second time Gatomon called him by nickname 'Pata'.

"Y-yes, I think so." Patamon stated.

"Anyway, let's check the map. I think I can download it to my laptop!" Koushiro scanned the map into his laptop, "You see, Iris' Shrine is located near the waterfall there!" he pointed to the north.

Everyone couldn't hold their jaw closed, given that they looked for SALAMANDER, the spirit of FIRE, but the location itself near the water. What the hell!? They all thought so.

"Err, am I hearing you right?" Daisuke asked, "You said that Iris' Shrine is near waterfall?"

"Yup, you heard me right. Now let's go!" he shouted.

"But why Iris' Shrine is near waterfall? I don't get it!" Agumon shook his head.

"Perhaps I can explain it." Jyou stated, "In ancient mythology, Iris is the name of Goddess of Rainbow, so isn't that obvious?" he asked.

"I…think I can understand now." Agumon replied, although he was not so sure.

So they continued to their journey, but it was a little that no wild Digimon encountered them. Looked like Zhuqiaomon (Zhuqiaomon: I told you to call me Zhuqiaomon-sama!!) had arranged this so that they couldn't mess up in his region. Unknown to them, they were being watched by the second Millennium General, a giant dragon-like machine, Chaosdramon.

"He…he…he…, capturing Veemon would be very easy for me!" he whispered.

"Uhm, this is only my feeling, but I feel that we are being watched!" Jyou stated.

"Aww, come Jyou, knock it off, you always think like we will die sooner or later!" Gomamon stated teasingly.

"Thanks a lot, Gomamon. You get that right here!" Jyou replied sarcastically, pointing at his heart.

"Why, thank you. I'll take that as a compliment!" Gomamon replied, almost as sarcastic as his partner, and then they continued to argue in their journey, leaving the others sweatdropped.

* * *

Digital World, South Region… 

"So, we've reached the waterfall, and look, there's nothing here!" Taichi muttered.

"But, the map said that the Iris' Shrine should be here, but wait…, could Zhuqiaomon trick us?" Koushiro asked confusedly. (Zhuqiaomon: Grr, how many times do I have to tell you to call me 'Zhuqiaomon-sama'!?)

"No, he's right about the location, my dear children. But unfortunately, you'll not reach the Shrine safely, because all of you will end up in my hands!" A cold voice echoed from somewhere.

"Who said that!?" Yamato asked, but no one answered.

"Be careful, everyone! I sense an enemy has approached!" Veemon shouted.

"He…he…he, I see why the Lord of Millennium has picked you, child! You're somewhat special!" that voice echoed once more.

"Look, he's there!" Patamon shouted, pointing at the peak of waterfall. Yes, standing there, a giant, dinosaur like machine Digimon with Red-Digizoid metal covered his body.

"How…, impossible! I thought we have finished him 5 years ago!!" Taichi shouted in shocked.

"Machinedramon!?" Yamato also shocked, "No, it can't be!"

"You mean, **a** Machinedramon, right?" Koushiro reminded him, "I think he's not the one who was defeated 5 years ago!"

"No! He's not a Machinedramon!" Agumon gazed at him, "He's the stronger version of Machinedramon! He's…"

"…Chaosdramon!" Gatomon added.

"Good if you have known me, so I needn't to introduce myself! I'm Chaosdramon, one of the Millennium Generals!" he shouted.

"You…, you are the one who captured my Gabumon and Sora's Biyomon?" Yamato asked rudely.

"Hell no, why should I care of them?" Chaosdramon replied, "My mission her is only to capture that **one**!" he pointed Veemon.

"You'll never take him!" Daisuke shouted, "Not without a fight!"

"Hah, okay then, if you wish, I'll show you my power!!" Chaosdramon shouted.

"Okay, everyone, let's do it!" Taichi stated, "Agumon, you have beaten this beast before, so I'm sure you can do it again!"

"Let's go!!" Agumon shouted. The crest of courage shined brightly.

* * *

WARP DIGIVOLUTION… 

Agumon digivolved into…WarGreymon!

* * *

"Vee, are you ready?" Daisuke asked. 

"Anytime, pal!" Veemon shouted.

"Alright, everyone's ready?" Takeru asked.

"Let's do it! For our better future!!" Patamon shouted.

* * *

DIGIVOLUTION… 

Veemon digivolved into…ExVeemon!

Wormmon digivolved into…Stingmon!

Hawkmon digivolved into…Aquilamon!

Armadillomon digivolved into…Ankylomon!

Patamon digivolved into…Angemon!

Tentomon digivolved into…Kabuterimon! Kabuterimon digivolved into…MegaKabuterimon!

Gomamon digivolved into…Ikkakumon! Ikkakumon digivolved into…Zudomon!

* * *

"Let's do it, Ken!" Daisuke shouted. 

"I'm ready!" Ken responded.

"Takeru, are you ready?" Iori shouted.

"Ready anytime, pal!" Takeru replied.

"Kari, let's combine our power!" Miyako shouted.

"For our world!" Hikari responded.

* * *

DNA DIGIVOLUTION… 

ExVeemon…

Stingmon…

DNA digivolved into…Paildramon!

Angemon…

Ankylomon…

DNA digivolved into…Shakkoumon!

Gatomon…

Aquilamon…

DNA digivolved into…Silphymon!

* * *

"Everyone, let's send him back to where he belonged!" WarGreymon shouted. 

"Hah, big talk! I'm the one who should say so! Take this! Hyper Mugen Cannon!!" Chaosdramon shouted, firing ultimate stream of energy wave from his cannon guns on his back.

The energy wave Chaosdramon's fired was very strong. It almost knocked out all the Digimon if WarGreymon didn't use his Brave Shield to block it, although the wave itself almost destroyed the Brave Shield.

"WarGreymon, are you okay?" Taichi asked his partner.

"I'm okay, Tai, but I can't block his attack every time! We need to finish him quickly!" WarGreymon replied.

"Let's go!" Paildramon shouted, "Desperado Blaster!" he fired strings of bullets from his cannons, but being a machine type attack and Chaosdramon's insanely high physical defense, the attack can only deal a very little damage.

"Don't use physical attack!" WarGreymon shouted, "This guy has a very high physical defense, use another kind of techniques, unless you can penetrate his defense!" he shouted again as he used his attack on Chaosdramon. Thanks to Dramon Killer that can penetrate defense of Dramon kind Digimon, he could do some damage on Chaosdramon.

"Got it!" Shakkoumon shouted, "Justice Beam!!"

"Take this! Static Force!" Silphymon shouted. Those two attacks combined and hit Chaosdramon, causing some damage, but not many.

""Take this! Vulcan Hammer!!" Zudomon shouted. Like WarGreymon's Shield, his hammer was also made from Chrome Digizoid, so he could do some damage too.

"MegaKabuterimon, can you use electric attack?" Koushiro asked his partner.

"Maybe I can, let's try! Electro Shocker!!" MegaKabuterimon shouted, firing a bulb of electric attack, and successfully electrocuted Chaosdramon.

"Just I thought!" Koushiro nodded, "Machine Digimon weak again electric type attack!"

"Gaah, how dare you all!! Take this, Doomsday Countdown!!" Chaosdramon yelled angrily, wildly firing his cannon guns to every direction, hitting and knocking all the Digimon.

* * *

"Paildramon, are you okay?" Ken and Daisuke asked. 

"Uh-huh, although that attack hurts us very much! But I'm ready again!" Paildramon tried to stand.

"Silphymon, are you alright?" Miyako and Hikari asked.

"We're alright!" Silphymon stated, "We'll not give up!"

"Shakkoumon, you're okay?" Iori and Takeru asked.

"We'll survive!" Shakkoumon responded.

"Let's do it, Ken!" Daisuke shouted and Ken nodded, and then they shouted, "Mega Digivolution activate!"

* * *

MEGA DIGIVOLUTION… 

Paildramon mega digivolved into…Imperialdramon!

* * *

Now Paildramon transformed into a giant, dragon-like Digimon with red wings. Chaosdramon shocked a little, but then he laughed. 

"Good job, so you can digivolve into mega level! This is what I call fun!!" he shouted.

"That's not funny! You idiotic junk!" Imperialdramon shouted angrily, "Positron Laser!!" he fired a huge laser shot from his cannon.

"Hyper Mugen Cannon!!" Chaosdramon countered it with his energy wave attack. Those attacks collided into the middle, and then exploded with a massive explosion.

"I can't believe it!" Ken shocked, "His Hyper Mugen Cannon can actually cancel the Positron Laser!"

"Impossible!" Imperialdramon shouted, "How can he match our Positron Laser!?"

Without warning, Chaosdramon appeared in the back of him. Everyone gasped, this creature was not only strong, he was also agile, didn't like the previous Machinedramon.

"Surprised, eh?" Chaosdramon mocked, "You still have to learn much if you want to defeat me! Take this, Chaos Crusher!!" he repeatedly stabbed Imperialdramon with his drill claws, which made Imperialdramon yelled in pain.

* * *

"Oh no, Imperialdramon is in danger, we've to help him!" Takeru shouted.

"Alright!" Shakkoumon shouted, "Let do it!"

"We're ready!" Silphymon shouted, and with Shakkoumon, Zudomon, MegaKabuterimon, and WarGreymon, he started to attack Chaosdramon.

"Terra Force!" WarGreymon shouted, firing a huge ball of energy on Chaosdramon. Terra Force hit Chaosdramon dead, staggering him, but he could endure. The other Digimon were also started to attack Chaosdramon, but they couldn't defeat him.

"Grr, annoying Digimon! I'll make you all feel sorry that you've ever encountered me!!" Chaosdramon yelled in angry, "Take this! Hyper Mugen Cannon!!" he fired his enormous energy wave again, targeting all Digimon but Imperialdramon, because he wanted to finish Imperialdramon without killing Veemon.

The energy wave hit all the Digimon dead, knocking them out once more. Chaosdramon didn't waste this good chance and shouted, "It's over now! Meteor Blow!!" He called a huge meteor from the sky. Silphymon, for some reason, was targeted by Chaosdramon as a main target, so the meteor was dropped right on him

"Oh no, Silphymon is in danger! We've got to save them!" Shakkoumon shouted and then covered him. The meteor hit after that, making all the Digimon, except Silphymon and Imperialdramon, de-digivolved into their rookie form (WarGreymon was also de-digivolved, but for some reason, he didn't de-digivolved into Koromon, but Agumon).

"S-Shakkoumon, why did you save me?" Silphymon asked, seeing Shakkoumon de-digivolved into Patamon and Armadillomon.

"I…do it for you, Gatomon!" Patamon stated weakly, "I don't want to see you hurt, because you're the most important Digimon in my life!"

'_Come on!' _Hawkmon in Silphymon stated, _'We can't let their sacrifice go for naught!'_

'_Y-yes,'_ Gatomon stated, blushed,_ 'Patamon..., thank you!'_

* * *

Meanwhile, in the battlefield, Chaosdramon hit Imperialdramon with his Doomsday Countdown. Imperialdramon was badly injured, but he was trying so hard to maintain his mega form. 

"So, why don't you surrender to me, Veemon?" Chaosdramon mocked him again, "If you do so, maybe I'll spare you friends!!"

"I'll never give up to you!!" Imperialdramon shouted angrily, "Take this! Mega Crusher!!" he fired his powerful energy blast.

"Oh, you just don't know when you need to give yourself up, eh!?" Chaosdramon commented, "Hyper Mugen Cannon!! Full Blast!!" and again, the blast collided in the middle, but this time Chaosdramon's Hyper Mugen Cannon was stronger, so the blast hit Imperialdramon.

"And now, I'll de-digivolved you and take Veemon to my master!" Chaosdramon stated, readying another attack.

"Not so fast, I'm still here!" Silphymon stated, "I'm your opponent, Chaosdramon!"

"Humph, just exactly what you ultimate can do to me!?" Chaosdramon mocked Silphymon.

"Hikari, Miyako, please lend us your power!" Silphymon whispered.

Suddenly, the D-3s of Miyako and Hikari shined brightly. Hikari and Miyako shocked, but they understood what they should do. They pointed their D-3s to Silphymon, and then…

* * *

MEGA DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATED… 

Silphymon mega digivolved into…Valkyrimon!!

* * *

Everyone glanced amazedly seeing Silphymon grew larger into Valkyrie with a golden falcon in her hand. She has beautiful wings. A shield is attached in her hand, as well as sword and bow. 

"Wow, Silphymon reaches mega level!" Hikari stated amazedly.

"Go get him, Valkyrimon!" Miyako shouted.

"Okay, let's finish this monster!" Valkyrimon shouted and then she flew to Chaosdramon.

**To be continued...**

* * *

A/N: So, how's this chapter? I hope I do better than the last chapter. Sorry to cut the story in the middle, because when I wrote, I just realized that I've wrote 4000 words, so I stopped. 

I've planned to add the older DigiDestined and Willis step by step, so in the next two spirit search, I'll add another one.

Don't worry about the pairing (Takari and PataGato). Like I said before, I'll do them, and I'll keep my words, so don't worry if in the last two chapters, I didn't do any pairing.

Anyway, as usual, please review! Don't worry, any critiques are accepted. So, please review! If there's something wrong with my story, please tell me, I'll appreciate it!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Chapter 8 is here! Sorry for late update, a new study season in my college has started. I need to maintain my time between studying and writing fanfiction, so chapter 9 and the next ones will be a little late, but I'll try to post them once per week.

Thanks for all of my reviewers, thanks for good suggestions and critiques. I'll try to improve my skill on writing and character development.

Once again, if in my past chapters I used any inappropriate words or something that offended my readers, I'm deeply sorry. I'll try to avoid it in my next chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. You should have known it already, right?

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story. Oh yeah, don't forget to review, okay? Please tell me what you feel about this story. Any critiques and suggestions are accepted, so please review, ok?

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**The Real Test**

"Imperialdramon, are you okay?" Valkyrimon asked as she arrived in the battlefield.

"I don't think so. I'm badly injured from his counterattack before!" Imperialdramon replied.

"Okay then, I'll take over! Let's go! Feral Sword!!" Valkyrimon shouted, and then before Chaosdramon could even move, she slashed him from behind, making Chaosdramon distracted and canceling his attack.

"Wow, she is very fast!" Taichi commented as he checked Agumon.

"Of course, Valkyrimon is one of the fastest Mega Level Digimon. Her speed would put even Chaosdramon's speed in a poor level!" Koushiro explained.

Meanwhile, in the battlefield, Valkyrimon repeatedly slashed Chaosdramon with her sword. Although the sword itself couldn't cause much damage because of Chaosdramon's insanely high physical defense, but Valkyrimon could keep Chaosdramon distracted, giving a very good chance for Imperialdramon to recover his condition.

"Gaah, that's enough, take this! Doomsday Countdown!!" Chaosdramon shouted angrily, firing his cannon again to every direction. He thought that even Valkyrimon couldn't avoid that attack, but he was wrong. Valkyrimon avoided every shot with ease.

"Hah, your attack is too slow!" Valkyrimon shouted, dodging the last shot, "Now's my turn! Laser Javelin!!" Valkyrimon shouted, firing a powerful laser attack that hit Chaosdramon dead, and knocking him good.

* * *

"Imperialdramon, how do you feel now?" Daisuke asked. 

"I'm still hurt, but I'm slowly recovering." Imperialdramon replied.

"Good then, tell us when you're ready!" Ken smiled.

* * *

Back to the battlefield, the frustrated Chaosdramon now was attacking Valkyrimon with his Chaos Crusher, but like before, Valkyrimon could dodge every blow with ease, thanks to her extremely high speed. Valkyrimon then countered it with her Lightning Arrows attack, which once again hit Chaosdramon dead. 

"Hah, girly, maybe you can avoid my attacks, but still you can't defeat me with your puny attacks!" Chaosdramon shouted in frustration seeing Valkyrimon avoided his Hyper Mugen Cannon.

"And who said that I was going to defeat you alone!?" Valkyrimon replied sarcastically.

"What do you mean!?" Chaosdramon yelled.

"I said that I was just distracting you from Imperialdramon so he can recover. Just take a look by yourself now!" Valkyrimon smiled, pointing at Imperialdramon who was readied for battle once again.

"Gaah, why you little-. " Chaosdramon spat and lauched his Hyper Mugen Cannon again on her, but like before, she could avoid it with ease.

"Just how many times I have to tell you that you are too slow?" Valkyrimon shouted, "Take this! Punishing Storm!!" she whipped a terrible windstorm from her shield, paralyzing Chaosdramon for awhile.

"Imperialdramon, now!" Daisuke and Ken shouted together, pointing their D-3 to Imperialdramon. The light from their D-3 encircled Imperialdramon, giving him a new power.

* * *

CHANGE MODE ACTIVATION… 

Imperialdramon Dragon Mode changed mode into…Imperialdramon Fighter Mode!

* * *

Chaosdramon gazed at Imperialdramon as he changed mode in horror. Honestly, if Imperialdramon was still in his dragon mode and without the aid from Valkyrimon, he could win with ease, but this time, this was the different story because Imperialdramon Fighter Mode has more power than his dragon mode. 

"The tide of battle has turned away! Let's send him back to where he belongs!" Imperialdramon FM shouted.

"Yes, let's finish him!" Valkyrimon shouted, readied her Feral Sword once again.

"Big talk! I will win, for the sake of Lord Millennium! I'll show you! This is just the beginning!!" Chaosdramon shouted angrily, "Take this, Hyper Mugen Cannon!!"

"Positron Laser!!" Imperialdramon FM shouted, firing a huge positron laser to counter Chaosdramon's Hyper Mugen Cannon. This time, not only the Positron Laser could cancel Hyper Mugen Cannon, but also for the first time, it could badly damage Chaosdramon.

"I'll help! Feral Sword!!" Valkyrimon shouted, slashed Chaosdramon with full power, and after taking much damage from those attacks, Chaosdramon's Red-Digizoid armor began to crumble, making it vulnerable to any kind of attack.

"This is our chance! His armor has been badly damaged! Strike him with all you've got!" Koushiro shouted.

"All right, it's over now! Giga Crusher, full power!!" Imperialdramon FM shouted, firing a huge energy wave at Chaosdramon.

"Punishing Storm!!" Valkyrimon shouted, raising a huge tornado, and those two attacks merged and stroke Chaosdramon dead.

"Damn, I may lose against you, but still, you haven't heard the last of Lord Millennium! He'll send another Millennium General to capture Veemon and destroy all of you!" Chaosdramon laughed as he was being deleted.

* * *

"He's gone." Sora said after the data of Chaosdramon completely disappeared, while Valkyrimon and Imperialdramon reverted to their rookie forms (champion for Gatomon). 

"Yes, he's even stronger than Machinedramon!" Taichi commented while he took care of Agumon's injury.

"But this is definitely not the end, let's move before another Millennium General appear!" Takeru stated.

"Here's one question: where should we go!?" Daisuke asked him sarcastically, "There's no sign of any temple in here!"

"Hmm, you've got a point here, let's search for it! Maybe there's a secret path to go to the Iris' Shrine!" Iori added.

* * *

So, they continued to search the Iris' Temple. Although the location of Iris' Temple was there, they had a hard time to find it because it was hidden. Finally, after at least two hours of searching, they found a clue to get into Iris' Shrine. 

"Hey, look at this!" Hikari stated, pointing at the old script in the rock near the waterfall.

"Hmm, it's the same old characters we found in the Sol Sanctum before, just give time to translate it!" Koushiro added excitedly.

"Sol Sanctum!? What's that?" Yamato asked.

"Oh, I assume that we haven't explained that, right, bro?" Takeru asked, and Yamato nodded, "The Sol Sanctum is the place where Fanglongmon kept the Light of Eden, the purest holy power on this world."

"So, we need the Light of Eden to purify the curse seal of Veemon?" Sora asked.

"Yes, you're right!" Miyako said, "But unfortunately, the Sol Sanctum itself is remaining locked until we can set the four spirit flames on that place."

"Oh, so the reason we searching the spirits is to open the Sol Sanctum?" Taichi asked, and all of them nodded, "I thought we need them to defeat that no-good Lord Millennium!"

"Okay, I've finished the translation!" Koushiro smiled.

"What does it say?" Jyou asked.

"Well, it says like this: "You who seek to find the spirit, show the true power of Courage and Love!'" Koushiro replied.

"To what?" Sora asked.

"Look, there!" Ken shouted, pointing at the wall. Symbol of Courage and Love was painted there side by side.

"Okay then, let's do it!" Taichi stated, and Sora agreed. Both of them pointed their crests into there, and after that, the Symbol of Courage and Love in the wall shone brightly.

"Wow, that's beautiful!" Miyako glanced at them amazedly.

Soon after the symbols shone, the wall was tore away, showing the new path for them. There was a dragon symbol on it, indicating that the path led them to Salamander.

"Alright! Let's go!" Daisuke shouted excitedly.

* * *

Digital World, South Region, Dragon's Path… 

They continued their journey through this path. The path itself was not easy because it was very hot inside, but thankfully, the path was straight, didn't have any branches, so they didn't get lost.

A half hour later…

"Whew, this tunnel is very hot, I can't take it anymore!" Gomamon grumbled. Poor him, being a aqua Digimon, he couldn't stand too much heat.

"Huh? Is that so?" Veemon asked chirpily.

"Yeah, I like this!" Agumon stated.

"You're lucky that you're a dragon type Digimon, both of you! You can stand heat!" Patamon said, "But for us, non-dragon and non-fire type Digimon, that's a different story!"

"Yes, I can't stand heat very much!" Wormmon shouted. Like aqua type Digimon, insect-type Digimon like Tentomon and himself couldn't stand heat very much.

"I must admit it! It is getting hotter and hotter as we walk!" Gatomon muttered.

"Quiet, all of you! All of your complaints make us feel hotter and hotter!" Miyako yelled at them.

"Yeah, and looking at Veemon and Agumon only makes me feel more and more tired!" Ken muttered. Honestly, it seemed that Veemon and Agumon didn't feel tired at all, even after the great battle with Chaosdramon a little while ago.

"I hope this path will end quickly. I feel that if I take it anymore, I'm going to faint!" Hikari swatted sweat from her face.

Takeru noticed that, and then he asked, "Hikari, are you sure you can take it anymore? You look very pale? Should we take a rest for awhile?"

Hikari smiled a little and then answered, "Thanks for your concern, Takeru. I'm a little tired, but knowing that you care so much at me, I will be okay, really!"

Takeru blushed a little, but quickly he snapped out, "Okay then, let's get moving! We don't want to be left, right? But be sure to tell me if you need a rest, okay?"

"Y-yes, let's move!" Hikari answered, and suddenly she felt so strong knowing that Takeru is truly care of her.

* * *

"Look!" Taichi shouted. A river of lava lay in front of them, blocking their way. 

"D-do we have to cross it?" Wormmon asked nervously.

"Of course, silly, otherwise we'll stuck here and get roasted by this heat!" Hawkmon replied.

"But how?" Gomamon asked, "There are no rocks or something for us to step!"

"Hmm, good question!" Iori stated, "There must be some secret switch to trigger a bridge or something!"

Before any of them replied, from the bottom of river, there was a loud noise, and rocks began to rise to the surface of the river. The rocks were not so wide, but they could be used to cross the lava river.

"Great, now we can cross the lava river!" Veemon said excitedly.

"You said it! We need to be very careful for this one, or we'll get roasted!" Daisuke shouted.

"Okay, I don't wanna get roasted, either!" Veemon replied.

So they crossed the lava river carefully. Armadillomon, Wormmon, and Gomamon crossed the river with the help of their partner, while Hawkmon and Patamon just flew to the other side. The others spent a hard time trying to jump from one rock to another. Sure that the rocks were very hot, but somehow they could endure.

Finally, after passed the lava river, the road reached its end. In the end of this road, like in the Zephyr Tower, there was a teleport device that was already activated.

"Finally!" Hikari said after they reached the end of the Dragon's Path.

"Let's get out of this road before we're getting roasted!" Gomamon shouted.

So, they took the teleport device and with the blink of light, they vanished.

* * *

Digital World, South Region, Iris' Shrine… 

"So, where are we now?" Daisuke asked as they reappeared in the new place. This place itself was like the hall with many strange statues of dragon and Iris, the goddess of rainbow. In the middle of the room, there was a huge magic circle like in the Zephyr Tower. The difference was the magic circle was red instead of purple.

"I think we finally arrived in the real Iris' Shrine!" Jyou stated, "Look at those statues! Those are Iris Statues!"

"You're correct! Welcome to Iris' Shrine, children!" A deep voice echoed.

"Who said that?" Agumon asked.

"I'm Salamander, the spirit of fire!" The voice replied, and suddenly a fire dragon appeared in front of them. He was composed by pure fire, but looked like a little small for a dragon.

"So, you're Salamander, eh? You look kinda small for a dragon, you know!" Daisuke commented.

"Small, eh!? You really got some nerve calling me like that! I'll show you who the real small here!" Salamander growled, he sounded just like his master, Zhuqiaomon.

"Pardon for my friend's rudeness!" Miyako pulled Daisuke's ear, "He didn't really intend to offend you!"

"Aww, mind your own business, nerdette!" Daisuke muttered, but Hikari glared at him, so he stopped.

"So, what did bring you here!?" Salamander asked.

"Actually, we want to ask you if you can help us!" Takeru answered.

"Help? Help what?" Salamander asked again with the same rude tone.

"Lord Millennium has woken up again, and he put some curse seal on our friend, Veemon, so we need the Light of Eden to purify it. But, in order to get it, we need to gather the four elemental spirits to open the Sol Sanctum!" Iori explained.

Salamander glance to each of them carefully, and then said, "All of you seem inexperienced, so I believe that I can't trust you for this!"

"WHAT!?" Everyone yelled loudly.

"Be quiet, brats! You don't have to yell so loud like that!" Salamander growled, covering his ears.

"But we need your help! Our friend's life is depended on you! Did Zhuqiaomon tell you before?" Takeru asked.

"Lord Zhuqiaomon!?" Salamander asked confusedly, "Nope, he hasn't come here, either!"

"He didn't even inform you?" Ken asked, couldn't believe it. So, Zhuqiaomon didn't even care of them at all.

"So, what do we need to make sure that you can trust you?" Yamato asked.

"Hmm, let's see, I challenge you all for a battle, so I can be sure that you're worthy enough for me to trust you!" Salamander stated.

"Do we really need to battle you?" Sora asked.

"Yes, but if you don't like that idea, please leave right now, I wont' stop you!" Salamander replied.

Everyone thought hard after he said that, and then Salamander asked again, "So, what's your decision? Do you accept my challenge? It's not a big deal if you really want to save this world, right!?"

"I think we don't have any choice, we accept your challenge!" Daisuke shouted.

"Yes, we'll show you!" Veemon added chirpily.

"Hmph, I see that you all have a high confidence, let's see if your confidence is as high as your skill! But I'll not cheat; I know that all of you are tired after battling a Chaosdramon before, so we'll begin our battle tomorrow! Be sure to have a good rest!" Salamander stated rudely, and then he vanished.

"How can he know that we battled Chaosdramon before!?" Takeru asked confusedly.

"And for him, beating Chaosdramon is not good enough to prove our worthiness? I don't get it!" Yamato added.

"Didn't you remember what Sylph said before?" Iori asked, "She said that Salamander loves to fight, right? Just like the fire itself!"

"Yeah, you're right, but I still don't get it. Azulongmon said that Zhuqiaomon would help us, but you see, he didn't even make effort to help us!" Daisuke scratched his head in frustration.

"Well, that's more like him!" Veemon stated cheerily.

"What do you mean!?" Taichi asked.

"You see, Zhuqiaomon didn't trust humans very much!" Armadillomon replied, "He's very different from Azulongmon who trusts humans very much."

"Some Sovereign he is!" Daisuke muttered, "Anyway, let's get a good rest to prepare for tomorrow!"

* * *

"Can't sleep, Gato?" Patamon asked Gatomon. Yes, Gatomon couldn't sleep tonight for some reason, and decided to take a little walk in the Iris' Shrine garden. 

Gatomon startled a little and turned back to see who spoke to her, and then she blushed a little when she saw Patamon, "Yeah, I can't sleep, and I think taking a walk a little will help."

"Is that so?" Patamon asked, "Mind if I tag along?"

"No, not at all." Gatomon replied, and then those two took a walk for awhile.

Gatomon flushed a little as Patamon grabbed her hand and walked together. Yes, the true reason that she couldn't sleep tonight was because she thought about the statement Patamon gave her when he and Armadillomon as Shakkoumon covered she and Hawkmon as Silphymon when Chaosdramon tried to take out them first.

* * *

_(Gatomon's Flashback)_

"_S-Shakkoumon, why did you save me?" Silphymon asked, seeing Shakkoumon de-digivolved into Patamon and Armadillomon._

"_I…do it for you, Gatomon!" Patamon stated weakly, "I don't want to see you hurt, because you're the most important Digimon in my life!"_

'_Come on!' Hawkmon in Silphymon stated, 'We can't let their sacrifice go for naught!'_

_'Y-yes,' Gatomon stated, 'Patamon…, thank you!' _

* * *

"Huh, Gato, what's wrong with you? Are you feeling OK?" Patamon asked, seeing Gatomon stopped and closed her eyes. 

"N-no, I'm okay, let's continue!" Gatomon replied nervously.

"Oh, good to hear that!" Patamon said.

"Uhm, about earlier, thanks for saving me, although I think that you shouldn't do that." Gatomon stated.

"Nonsense, I do it for you, because…you're the most important Digimon in my life. I'll even sacrifice myself for your sake of happiness!" Patamon replied.

Gatomon kept silent for awhile. She didn't know what to say. Yes, she knew that Patamon and Veemon like her very much. Veemon is okay, she thought, but Patamon is somewhat special because he is always with her even in the darkest situation in her life. This feeling is very warm and tender; he truly loves her from the bottom of his heart.

"…That's so sweet of you, Patamon!" finally Gatomon replied, smiling, and then slowly she kissed Patamon.

'_Oh, she's so sweet when she's smiling like that. Oh, I think I'm gonna die just to see her like that!' _Patamon thought, blushing madly.

"Now, shall we go to sleep? We need to rest to face the battle tomorrow!" Gatomon stated slowly after awhile.

"R-right! Let's go!" Patamon replied, and then they went back together.

Oh, he felt that he was in the top of the world after that wonderful kissing.

* * *

Unknown to them, Veemon couldn't sleep, either, and accidentally he spotted Gatomon and Patamon when Gatomon kissed Patamon. Of course, he felt heartbroken seeing that Gatomon kissed Patamon, his rival, but he also spotted something that he'd never seen before: the true happiness painted in Gatomon's face. 

'_Oh, what's gotten on me anyway? I feel jealous on Patamon, but I feel happy seeing Gatomon so happy like that as well.' _Veemon thought confusedly.

'_Maybe I should let them to grasp their happiness; they are my friends, after all, and this feeling, yes, I feel happy if my friends are happy too. I think this is the true meaning of friendship, after all.' _Veemon smiled, although deep in his heart he was still a little hurt, but the happiness seeing Patamon and Gatomon were so happy eased his heart's pain.

'_I think I should go back to sleep as well. I need to prepare for tomorrow to teach that arrogant dragon a lesson!' _Veemon thought again, and then he went back without being noticed by Patamon and Gatomon.

**To be continued...**

* * *

A/N: So, how's that? Gatomon finally realized that Patamon loved her very much. I hope you satisfied with that that scene, but this is definitely not the end, there will be another scene for Takari and PataGato. 

The next chapter will be a great battle between the DigiDestined and Salamander. How strong Salamander is really? And why he didn't trust the DigiDestined from the beginning? These will be answered in the next chapter!

Finally, just like always, review please! Reviews really make me happy, so after you read this story, please express your opinions, comments, or critiques on your reviews, ok?


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Chapter 9 is up! Sorry for the very late update. My college assignments, including my chemistry lab works really sapped my strength and mind, so I can't fulfill my promise to update at least once a week.

Thanks for all of the reviewers, you really made my day. Thanks for all of wonderful suggestions and critiques.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, of course. Digimon belongs to Toei Animation and its creator, Akiyoshi Hongo sensei.

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story. Oh yeah, please read and review, okay?

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**The Crucible Flame, Salamander**

The night seemed passed so quickly. The dawn had come. The DigiDestined and their partners woke up. The sun shined brightly through the Iris' Shrine.

"Finally, the dawn has come, how do you feel, Veemon? Ready to teach that rude dragon a lesson? " Daisuke asked his partner.

"…" Veemon didn't answer at once. Actually, he still thought about the scene he saw last night when Gatomon kissed Patamon. Still, he had a hard time to erase the jealous and heartbroken feeling from his heart, but he also wanted a full happiness for his friends, so to tell the truth, he didn't know what to do.

"Hey, Vee, what's wrong with you? Don't tell me that you had a message from that damned Millennium Lord in your dream again!" Daisuke asked again in worry.

"No…, it's not like that, it's…" Veemon replied, but he stopped in the middle.

"Yes?" Daisuke asked back.

"Forget it. This is my own problem, don't let it bother you." Veemon smiled, "Don't worry, Dai-chan, I'll be fine."

"Oh, I see, but please tell me if you really need my help. Remember, we're friends, right? Now and forever, until the time itself separate us." Daisuke stated.

This time was the time Veemon got surprised; he never heard Daisuke said such a wise statement, so he said teasingly, "I think I should get my ears checked. Dai-chan said such a wise quote? Who are you anyway? What are you doing to my real Dai-chan?"

"Why you-!!" Daisuke's face turned red and began to chase down Veemon who couldn't help but laughed flippantly. Seeing this couple of jokers of the deck, everyone else sweatdropped.

"Well, I guess boys will always be boys!" Miyako sighed.

* * *

"Good morning, Gato!" Patamon greeted Gatomon as she woke up. Gatomon flushed a little, memory of last night was very wonderful. That was the first time she acknowledged her love to Patamon. 

"Yes, good morning to you too, Pata!" Gatomon replied, "Let's do our best today!"

"Of course, let's prove that we're experienced enough for that arrogant dragon!" Patamon said chirpily.

* * *

Iris' Shrine Hall… 

"Well, everyone, are you ready?" Daisuke asked all of them.

"Yes, we'll win for sure!" Veemon shouted chirpily, although he was a little depressed. Well, looked like our tiny blue dragon didn't want to make everybody worrying about him.

"Yes, let's take care of that dragon! He couldn't be worse than Chaosdramon!" Agumon added, (A/N: I'll not be that sure if I was you, Agumon, but we'll soon see how strong that Salamander could be.)

"Hey, Veemon, are you sure you'll be alright?" Wormmon asked him, "You looked a little pale."

"Don't worry, pal, like you see, I'm alright, thanks for worrying me!" Veemon smiled.

"Okay, I believe on you, but please tell me if something happens, okay?" Wormmon stated. Naturally, because they can DNA digivolve, Wormmon could also feel Veemon's emotion. He knew that Veemon was lying this time, but he also knew that Veemon must have some reasons why he did that.

"Thank you, pal." Veemon replied.

After he said that, the magic circle in the middle of room glowed with a faint red beam, forming a silhouette of a dragon. Yes, of course, Salamander had come. He seemed fully prepared for this battle, indicating that he would do his best.

"Are you ready for this?" Salamander asked them.

"Yes, we'll show you!" Daisuke shouted confidently.

"Humph, you seem very confident; let's see who will laugh last!" Salamander growled, "Very well, let's begin!" Then Salamander transformed into a bigger dragon, still made from fire.

"Okay, everyone, let's do our best!" Takeru shouted.

"Let's do it!" Ken added.

"…For our better future!" Hikari shouted.

"Everyone, get ready!" Daisuke shouted, pointing his D-3. Everyone nodded, also pointing their D-3/ Digivice.

* * *

DIGIVOLUTION… 

Veemon digivolved into…ExVeemon!

Hawkmon digivolved into…Aquilamon!

Armadillomon digivolved into…Ankylomon!

Patamon digivolved into…Angemon!

Wormmon digivolved into…Stingmon!

Agumon digivolved into…Greymon!

Tentomon digivolved into…Kabuterimon!

Gomamon digivolved into…Ikkakumon!

* * *

"Great, this is what I call a feast!" Salamander grinned evilly as he saw 9 champion Digimon standing in front of him, "Let's see if you can stand in my crucible flame! Take this, Pyroclasm!!" Salamander shouted, and suddenly the ground below them opened, spewing the might of volcano with incredible fury. 

Every Digimon, of course, didn't realize that fast attack, so all of them got hit by that powerful fire attack, staggered them all.

"What the hell was that?" Daisuke asked in horror, seeing that only with one attack, Salamander could hit their partners all.

"See, I told you so!" Salamander grinned, "Now, ready to quit!?" he asked.

"No way! We've come so far, and we'll never give up until you come with us!" Takeru shouted.

"Very well then, show me your true strength!" Salamander smirked.

* * *

"Everyone, are you okay?" ExVeemon asked as he recovered from Pyroclasm's damage. 

"I'm okay! Don't worry!" Stingmon replied.

"We're too!" Angemon, Gatomon, Aquilamon, and Ankylomon answered.

"That attack will not take us on!" Greymon, Kabuterimon, and Ikkakumon stated.

"Good! Let's show him what we have!" ExVeemon shouted, "Take this, Veelaser!" ExVeemon shouted, firing X-shaped laser from his chest.

The attack hit Salamander, but didn't leave any scratch on him, because he was made from fire, and Veelaser was fire element, too, so he absorbed that attack.

"You've made a big mistake, my friend!" Salamander shouted, "Did you know that I was made from fire, and therefore I immune against all kinds of fire attacks?"

"WHAT??" Daisuke shouted in shock.

"Yes, he's right!" Koushiro shouted, "Avoid using any fire based attack or we'll never be able to damage him!"

"Bah, so Greymon's Nova Blast and ExVeemon's Veelaser can't be used, right?" Taichi spat.

"Yes, and also avoid using physical contact attacks, or you'll get burned!" Jyou reminded them.

"Got it!" Ikkakumon shouted, "Now let's try this! Harpoon Torpedo!"

Ikkakumon's Harpoon Torpedo hit and exploded at Salamander, but like before, it caused absolutely no damage as the explosion emitted by Harpoon Torpedo was a fire type, too.

"It's no use!" Koushiro shouted, "We need a water based attack!"

"But how?" Sora asked, "No one in our party know those kinds of attacks."

"Ah, come on, is that all you can do!?" Salamander teased them, "Pathetic! No wonder Lord Zhuqiaomon refused to trust you!"

"OK, you ask for it! Ken, are you ready?" Daisuke asked.

"Anytime, pal!" Ken shouted.

"Let's do it, Hikari!" Miyako encouraged her DNA partner.

"Yeah, together we'll win!" Hikari replied.

"Don't forget us, too!" Iori and Takeru shouted.

"We'll show you!" All the older DigiDestined added.

* * *

DNA DIGIVOLUTION… 

ExVeemon…

Stingmon…

DNA Digivolved into…Paildramon!

Gatomon…

Aquilamon…

DNA Digivolved into…Silphymon!

Angemon…

Ankylomon…

DNA Digivolved into…Shakkoumon!

* * *

DIGIVOLUTION… 

Greymon digivolved into…MetalGreymon!

Kabuterimon digivolved into…MegaKabuterimon!

Ikkakumon digivolved into…Zudomon!

* * *

"We'll show you our true strength!" Paildramon shouted. 

"Yeah, time to teach you a lesson!" Silphymon added.

"We'll surpass you for sure!" Shakkoumon stated.

"Just try it! It'll be the same; you'll never beat me with those forms!" Salamander snickered.

"Grr, that's not funny, you big bastard!" MetalGreymon yelled angrily, "Giga Blaster!" he fired his homing missiles from his chest.

"Persistent big brat, didn't you?!" Salamander stated, "Let's see how this work! Conflagration Squall!" He shouted, creating a whirl of fire in front of him, destroying the missiles MetalGreymon fired.

"WHAT??" Everyone gasped, "Just how strong this monster is!?"

"Oh wait; this is definitely not the end!" Salamander shouted, and following that, countless of fire arrows started to fall down and stroke MetalGreymon, forcing him to degenerated into Agumon.

"Now, who's next?" Salamander asked with annoying tone.

"Grr, take this! Desperado Blaster!" Paildramon shouted, firing bullets to Salamander.

"Justice Beam!" Shakkoumon shouted, firing holy beam from his eyes.

"Static Force!" Silphymon followed the other two, and those three attacks merged and stroke Salamander. Finally, it was worked; for the first time, they could cause some damage on Salamander.

"Good, but not good enough to defeat me, take this, Heat Viper!" Salamander shouted, firing a huge fire shockwave on all of them, staggering them.

"H-how can you do that!?" Takeru gazed in horror seeing Salamander used Kimeramon's Heat Viper to damage their partners.

"Oh, don't you know? Being the spirit of fire, I can do almost all the fire techniques known by Digimon. You wished to challenge me and didn't know that, how pathetic! You can hope to win against me then!" Salamander shouted.

* * *

"Che, how can he so strong like that?" Paildramon spat as he tried to recover from the injury caused by Heat Viper. 

"I guess we took him too lightly before. I can't believe that he has enormous strength like that!" Silphymon added.

"Well, that's the same like in the Zephyr Tower, where wind power is doubled, and here, in the Iris' Shrine; I think fire power is doubled as well, so Salamander is very strong here." Shakkoumon suggested, remembering how Patamon did so well in Zephyr Tower.

"But how can MetalGreymon lose so easily to him then? He's a fire type, right?" Zudomon groaned in pain. Poor him, being the aqua type, his power was reduced due the effect of Iris' Shrine and then he received double damage from the fire attack Salamander used.

"That's the question I can't understand, but I think the Conflagration Squall he used before is very strong, so even MetalGreymon can't stand that." MegaKabuterimon added.

"That's not important now, come on, we can't let him beat us like this!" Paildramon encouraged all of them.

"You're right! Let's go!" All of them replied.

* * *

"Gaah, I can't believe that he's so strong like that!" Daisuke spat crankily, breaking the long silence after they shocked from Salamander's attack. 

"I think we underestimated him before." Taichi commented while taking care of Agumon's injury.

"Yeah, I've miscalculated him for awhile." Koushiro added, "Now I've scanned for his data, and I found out that he was right! He has many of fire techniques, including Heat Viper we've seen before."

"Haah, I wish Gabumon would be here." Yamato shook his head, "He can chill him out with his Metal Wolf Claw."

"Don't lose hope yet, we haven't lost yet! We must believe on our partners! I believe that they can do it!" Ken stated.

"Yes, you're right! Let's support them!" Hikari agreed, "As long as we have hope and trust, they can't be beaten!"

"Alright, everyone, don't give up!" All of them shouted, encouraging their partners.

* * *

"So, how's that? Ready to give up?" Salamander asked them after they recovered from their injury. 

"Never!" Paildramon shouted.

"We won't give up until you come with us!" Shakkoumon added.

"For our better future!" Silphymon shouted.

"Good, I like that, let's continue, shall we?" Salamander stated, "Try this, Flare Storm!" he shouted, unleashing wall of fire on them, but now they had prepared, so they could dodge this attack with ease.

"Very good indeed, I see you learned something from my previous attack!" Salamander stated.

"Stop mocking us, will ya!?" Paildramon yelled irritably, "Take this, Desperado Blaster!"

"Justice Beam!" Shakkoumon shouted, firing a strange energy beam from his eyes.

"Static Force!" Silphymon followed, unleashing an air bomb from her hand.

This attack once again hit Salamander dead, but just like before, it only could cause little damage on Salamander, thanks to Salamander's very high resistance.

"I'll help, Horn Buster!" MegaKabuterimon shouted, doing an electrified tackle on Salamander, but instead of causing damage on Salamander, it caused some burn damage on him.

"Take this, Vulcan's Hammer!" Zudomon shouted, hammering Salamander with his Chrome-Digizoid hammer.

"Pathetic! Is that all you water type can do to me!?" Salamander commented as he easily recovered from those attacks, "Take this, Fiery Burst!" he shouted, now unleashing powerful explosion from the ground. MegaKabuterimon and Zudomon didn't react fast enough and badly injured from that fire spell. MegaKabuterimon reverted back to Tentomon, but Zodomon didn't, although he was badly injured.

"I…can't lose to you!" Zudomon stated weakly, "For the sake of all water type Digimon and for the sake of this world!"

"My, my, looks like I've hurt your pride, haven't I?" Salamander mocked him, "Very well, I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget!"

"Zudomon! Please stay back! We'll take care of him!" Paildramon moved forward.

"No! He's mine! You stay back!" Zudomon finally got up.

"WHAT!? But you're still badly injured from his last attack!" Shakkoumon reminded him.

"Yes, Shakkoumon's right, please stay back!" Silphymon added.

"Zudomon, please don't push yourself too hard!" Jyou shouted from behind.

Zudomon looked back, and then he closed his eyes and said, "I'm sorry for being selfish, Jyou, but I must do this! Please lend me your power!"

Jyou shocked a little, but then he smiled, "I understand, I'll always be with you, you'll have my faith forever!"

After he said that, his Digivice shined brightly, as well as his Crest of Reliability. The light gathered and surrounded Zudomon, and slowly changed his appearance.

* * *

MEGA DIGIVOLUTION ACTIVATION… 

Zudomon digivolved into…Plesiomon!

* * *

All of the DigiDestined glanced amazedly as the light faded out. Replacing Zudomon, a beautiful long-necked Digimon that looked like a Plesiosaurus. He also had a pair of wings-like flippers he used to fly. Salamander also shocked seeing this legendary water-type Digimon. 

"Is this…Gomamon's Mega Form?" Sora asked.

"Yes, Plesiomon, a legendary water-type Digimon, Mega level, very strong at manipulating water, his Sorrow Blue attack can make even the most ferocious Digimon lose their will to fight!" Koushiro explained after he scanned Plesiomon's data into his laptop.

"Okay, go get him, Plesiomon!" Jyou shouted.

* * *

"Now, are you ready!?" Plesiomon hovered back to battlefield. 

"Humph, I'll show you that my fire techniques are better than your water techniques!" Salamander replied, although he replied with lesser confidence than before. He realized that there was only a small chance for him to win this battle, but being a very stubborn like Zhuqiaomon, he accepted Plesiomon's challenge.

Salamander then unleashed his Pyroclasm spell again, but this time, Plesiomon gracefully dodge this spell, and countered back with his Shaking Pulse attack, which sent supersonic wave on him, staggering him for the first time.

"Wow, he's sure very strong!" Paildramon commented as he watched the battle between Salamander and Plesiomon.

"Yeah, he'll win for sure this time!" Shakkoumon added.

"Atta' boy, Plesiomon!" Silphymon cheered him.

"Gaah, how annoying! Eat this, Conflagration Squall!!" Salamander shouted, unleashing his powerful fire spell he used to defeat MetalGreymon before.

"Water Tail Blaster!" Plesiomon shouted, firing a blast of aqua jet from his tail, and the attack collided in the middle, but Plesiomon's Water Tail Blaster was stronger than Salamander's Conflagration Squall, which ended hitting Salamander with the blast of water.

"Way to go, Plesiomon! Finish him!" Agumon and Tentomon cheered as they saw Salamander's power weakened from that water attack.

"You're finished! Sorrow Blue!" Plesiomon shouted again, unleashing weird sound wave.

Almost all the DigiDestined and their partner couldn't help but close their ears tightly when Plesiomon unleashed his Sorrow Blue attack. Koushiro was right before, no one could stand hearing that sad voice.

"Gaah, that's enough, I give up!" Salamander yelled, "Please stop that before I'm going crazy!"

"So, you give up, huh? That's the lesson for underestimating water Digimon!" Plesiomon glared to Salamander, still unleashing his Sorrow Blue attack.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that, so please, please stop that!" Salamander yelled again.

"Okay then!" Plesiomon stopped singing, "You all may open your ears now!" he added and the rest of them opened their ears in relief.

* * *

"So, what do you have to say for yourself!?" Daisuke asked Salamander after he managed to calm himself after being defeated by Plesiomon. 

"Fine, I acknowledge that all of you are experienced enough, so I will join you for now and thanks for a very good battle before!" Salamander stated.

"Are you sure about that?" Yamato asked him.

"Positively, so what'll we wait anymore? Let's go to Phoenix's Gate to meet Lord Zhuqiaomon!" Salamander stated cheerily, "Please gather in the middle and then we'll go!"

They gathered at the middle like Salamander told them and then with the flash of light, they vanished.

* * *

Digital World, South Region, Phoenix Gate… 

"Heh, it's so nice in here, especially without those brats. I wonder if they can beat my Salamander. Nah, they will never do that!" Zhuqiaomon talked to himself while drinking some hot tea.

After he said that, a blinding light emerged in front of him, and Salamander appeared, followed by the DigiDestined and their partners.

Zhuqiaomon almost choked when he saw that. The DigiDestined were actually shown here, together with Salamander.

"Greetings, Lord Zhuqiaomon!" Salamander stated.

"S-Salamander, what are you doing here!?" Zhuqiaomon asked him.

"Well, they've beaten me fair and square, so I decided to join them!" Salamander replied.

"But I don't command you to bring them here, you idiot! This is a private place, you know!" Zhuqiaomon spat angrily.

"Sorry, master…" Salamander stated sadly.

Zhuqiaomon then turned into the DigiDestined and glared at them, "Humph, so you've proven yourself worthy to him. Now gather away! I'll bring you all back to Eastern Region!"

All the DigiDestined sweatdropped after Zhuqiaomon said that. No praise at all, and Zhuqiaomon seemed disturbed by their presences.

"See, I told you so, Zhuqiaomon is a plain human-hater!" Veemon whispered to Daisuke.

"Umm, I guess you're right this time!" Daisuke sweatdropped.

"What are you two talking about!?" Zhuqiaomon yelled at them, which made both Daisuke and Veemon jumped in surprise, "Now gather here, or I'll leave without you!"

"Yes, sir!" both Daisuke and Veemon gulped.

After they'd gathered, Zhuqiaomon teleported them back to Eastern Region.

* * *

Digital World, Eastern Region, Dragon's Gate… 

"So, what information did you gather this time, Gennai?" Azulongmon asked Gennai.

"Hmm, I still didn't find the trace of Biyomon and Gabumon, but I have a clue about who captured them. They'd been captured by the Millennium General, GigaSeadramon, so it appears that they were brought to the Dark Area by him!" Gennai replied.

"What else did you get?" Azulongmon asked again.

"Well, the Dark Area's activity has been increasing lately, and the dark energy is getting stronger and stronger with every passing moment. I'm afraid if this last longer, our Digital World will crumble to destruction!" Gennai answered.

"Very well, continue your work!" Azulongmon stated, and then Gennai vanished.

"So, that's why you summon us, Azulongmon?" Azulongmon turned back and faced the one who asked him, a blonde boy in about Daisuke's age, accompanied with two bunny-like Digimon with long ears, one with one horn and the other one with three horns.

"Yes, Willis, we need all the help we can gather here and…" Azulongmon stopped as he saw a flash of light appeared in the back. Zhuqiaomon then appeared, followed by DigiDestined and their partners, and then Salamander.

"Azulongmon, they've retrieved what they seek. They're yours now! So long!" Zhuqiaomon stated quickly and then he vanished again.

Azulongmon sighed and sweatdropped, "He never changes, after all!"

"Azulongmon, we've brought back Salamander!" Patamon stated cheerfully.

"Great job, children, and now I must introduce you to someone. I believe that you have known him." Azulongmon replied.

"Huh, who are you talking about?" Takeru asked.

"Okay, Willis, please come here!" Azulongmon called, and then Willis came near him.

"Ohh, is that you…Willis? Long time not to see ya, buddy!" Daisuke stated cheerily.

"Hello everyone! Nice to see you again! I'm sorry that I can't join you earlier, but now I'll help you to defend this Digital World!"

"It's okay, I'm glad that we can fight together again!" Hikari smiled.

* * *

"Hey, Terriermon, long time not to see you!" Veemon stated cheerily as they met. 

"Hey, buddy, you looked great, but what's that in your right hand?" Terriermon pointed the strange symbol in Veemon's right hand.

"That…" Veemon tried to answer, but he stopped, remembering this always made him feel sad.

"That's a curse seal. Kimeramon, one of the Millennium Generals, placed it on him not too long ago in order to make him a slave of destruction of the Lord of Millennium." Wormmon explained that.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but I'll help you to get rid of that! Lopmon will help you too, right, Lopmon?" Terriermon asked his twins.

"Lopmon? oh yeah, I remember!" Patamon stated, "You're the one who can digivolve into Cherubimon, right?"

"Y-yes, p-pleased to m-meet you all!" Lopmon stated. Different from Terriermon, Lopmon had a bit shy personality.

"Don't worry, Veemon, we two will help you to get rid from that seal and return the Digital World to peace!" Terriermon encouraged him.

"Thanks, pal!" Veemon smiled.

"Yeah, no matter what will happen, we'll always support you!" Gatomon, Armadillomon, and Hawkmon added, "We're friends, right?"

"Thank you, all of you, you make me very happy!" Veemon stated.

* * *

"Children, I need your attention for awhile!" Azulongmon said seriously after their little reunion. 

"What's wrong, Azulongmon?" Taichi asked.

"It's about the condition of Digital World lately. The dark energy keep growing stronger and stronger, so I'm afraid that you can't return to the Real World for awhile, just to make sure that the Lord of Millennium didn't invade the Real World. I've closed all the gate to the Real World right now!" Azulongmon explained seriously.

"Azulongmon, what about Gabumon and Biyomon?" Agumon asked.

"For them, I've got a little information. Looks like they got kidnapped by GigaSeadramon, one of the Millennium Generals, but I still don't have any clue why he did it!" Azulongmon replied, "Maybe Lord of Millennium has some plan on them."

"Where is that bastard of Millennium? I'm gonna-" Yamato yelled angrily.

"Calm down, Ishida! So far we don't have information where they are, but I'm sure that Gennai will find them soon!" Azulongmon stated calmly.

"But what about Mimi?" Sora asked, "Isn't she going to join us too?"

"don't worry, I'm still tracking her, and when I find her, I'll bring her here to join you. now, Baihumon will soon come here to escort you to West Region, please find Gnome as fast as you can! I'm counting on you all!" Azulongmon replied.

* * *

Digital World, Dark Area, Millennium Castle… 

"So, Chaosdramon is failed to stop them and capture Veemon..." Lord of Millennium stated as he heard the news from his servant, Gryphonmon.

"Y-yes, Milord, but don't worry, one of us will surely capture him and bring him here." Gryphonmon replied a bit scared.

"I see, I've predicted this, Chaosdramon wouldn't stand a chance against them, after all!" Lord of Millennium stated slowly.

"Then, why did you send him there?" Gryphonmon asked confusedly.

"He…he…he, I've planned that before. Now what I need is his data and Kimeramon's data to summon another Millennium General!" Lord of Millennium laughed maliciously, and in his hands, a streams of data appeared, one was Kimeramon's, and the other one was Chaosdramon's.

"P-pardon me, Milord, you don't mean to…" Gryphonmon asked him again.

"Oh yes, I've planned this before. After he's completed, no one can stop him. He'll capture Veemon for sure!" Lord of Millennium laughed again.

"S-so, you sent the other Millennium Generals to…" Gryphonmon asked again.

"Oh, they only baits for the DigiDestined; that will make them busy. By the time they retrieved all of the spirits, this Digimon will be completed. Of course, I don't mind if one of my Millennium Generals can destroy the DigiDestined and bring Veemon here, that's good, for this Digimon, together with him, will be my destruction weapons." Lord of Millennium replied mercilessly.

Gryphonmon didn't answer this time; he just merely flew away as Lord of Millennium as he commanded him to watch over the DigiDestined again.

"He…he…he, Veemon, try to escape as hard as you can, you'll never escape from me!" Lord of Millennium laughed maliciously as he fused those data.

**To be continued...**

* * *

A/N: Finally, finished, after a long time. So, how's that? I hope this chapter is as good as before. Sorry for the late update, like I say before, I have so many works that I can't write this fanfic. 

Anyway, the story is getting nearer to the climax. I hope I can update as soon as possible. And about the Takari, don't worry, I'll do it in my next chapters.

As usual, please review, so I know what you feel about this story. Any critiques are accepted as always; I'm still learning after all. So, please review!! Reviews really make me feel happy.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Here comes chapter 10. Sorry for the very late update, and I hope this one is better than before.

Thanks for all the reviewers, you really made my days. Thanks for all of your supports!

Disclaimer: Che, I'm getting bored for this one. Of course I don't own Digimon (it's very obvious!). All of Digimon properties are owned by Toei Animation, and of course, Akiyoshi Hongo sensei.

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story. Oh yeah, please read and review!

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Doubt & Trust**

Western Region…

Western Region, a region ruled by Sovereign Baihumon. Unlike the other regions, this region mainly composed by deserts, and in the middle of this region, Gaia Rock stood.

Meanwhile, somewhere else in this region, two of the Millennium Generals met there. They began to discuss about how to capture Veemon and destroyed the DigiDestined.

"What are you doing here, GigaSeadramon? Isn't Lord of Millennium assigned you in the North Region?" one of them, the cyborg dragon, Darkdramon asked.

"My, my, that isn't a good way to greet your superior, is it?" GigaSeadramon mocked. Although they were the same as Millennium General, in fact, Darkdramon was only the third rank Millennium General, and GigaSeadramon was a second rank one.

"Answer me, what are you doing here!?" Darkdramon growled angrily.

"Okay, if you insist, I'll tell you. The DigiDestined were able to destroy Chaosdramon before!" GigaSeadramon answered.

"Hmph, typical weak bastard he is. He's humiliating us as the strongest 6 Millennium Generals at all, but I'm also a bit shocked about the DigiDestined's improvement. I always thought that they are only a bunch of weak brats!" Darkdramon stated sarcastically.

"So, what do you say? If we work separately, we'll never be able to catch Veemon and destroy the DigiDestined, and our master will be very mad!" That leviathan Digimon with length at least four miles asked.

Darkdramon kept silent for awhile. It was not as usual that GigaSeadramon would ask someone else to cooperate. Usually, he wanted to work alone to take all the glory by himself, but this time he asked to cooperate.

Darkdramon glared suspiciously at GigaSeadramon, but then he thought that GigaSeadramon was right. They needed to destroy DigiDestined as soon as possible and then capture Veemon, otherwise their master would be very angry.

He thought for awhile, and at last he growled, "Fine, I agree with you, let's destroy them together!"

"It's good that you're beginning to see it my way. So this is my plan…" GigaSeadramon began to explain his plan to ambush them.

Well, this is going to be one of the greatest battles DigiDestined have ever faced…

* * *

Eastern Region, Dragon's Gate… 

"Please wait for awhile, children. Baihumon has some business before he can fetch you all here, so please rest for awhile until he comes here!" Azulongmon stated.

"What!? You mean we need to wait while this world is in danger!? How could you!?" Daisuke protested.

Azulongmon gave a very-scary-glare (it was not as usual he did that) to him for awhile, and then he began to talk, "You need to calm down, Daisuke. For now, Baihumon needs to meet with our spies to gather information about the Western Region, because there's a rumor said that the Millennium Generals act peculiarly recently."

"But…," Daisuke opened his mouth to protest again, but Azulongmon intercepted him, "I know that, but Veemon and the others also need some rest after they fought Salamander before, and this is the only chance you can get some rest!" After that, Azulongmon flew away.

"He's right, Daisuke, our partners are still exhausted after the fight before, so let's use this chance to rest!" Ken tried to convince his best friend.

"Yeah, Ken's right. We don't know what has waited for us in Western Region, so we need to prepare our best!" Taichi added.

* * *

"Hikari, what's wrong with you? Why did you leave the crowd?" Takeru asked Hikari as he saw Hikari outside the crowd. 

Hikari didn't answer at once; she was spacing out this time.

"Hmm, Hikari, are you all right?" Takeru asked her once again in louder voice. Hikari snapped out and saw Takeru.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you, Takeru-kun. I'm just spacing out, really, I'm all right as you can see." Hikari stated. Well, actually, being the Child of Light, she was very sensitive about darkness, and when the darkness grew stronger like these days, that did frighten her much.

"You're lying, aren't you?" Takeru replied, which made Hikari a bit startled, "Walking alone with a pale expression, that's definitely not a sign of good condition, right?"

"Well, I don't really want to interfere with your problem, but if you don't mind, please tell me your problem; perhaps I can help you to solve it. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone else if you don't want to." Takeru added.

Hikari flushed a little as Takeru said that; just hearing those words really comforted her so much, and she felt so…safe when Takeru was near her.

"Huh, what's wrong with you, Hikari-chan? Why did your face turn red?" Takeru asked.

"Oh, that's nothing, really, but seeing you really care me so much, I feel safe. Thanks for comforting me." Hikari smiled, still blushing.

Now this was the time that Takeru blushed madly_, "OMG, she's so beautiful when she's smiling like that.'_ Takeru thought.

'_Hey, now's a good chance, tell her already.' _His subconscious echoed in his head.

'_Grr, you again. Why don't you stop bothering me?_ Takeru gritted his teeth.

'_I told you to tell her already. There's no need to hide anymore.' _His subconscious replied.

'_There's no need to admit. I only like Hikari as a friend, FRIEND ONLY.' _Takeru replied.

'_Aww, come on, hell sure would freeze if I believe on your thought. I'm your subconscious, you know, so you can't lie to me. Come on, this may be the only chance in your life, trust me! Now tell her already!' _his subconscious kept echoing in his head.

'_But…but, if she…." _Takeru tried to argue.

'_If she doesn't like you, you mean? Sigh, you're so naïve, can't you see it? Oh, well, that's the latter problem. At least you have confessed your feeling to her!' _His mind stated, _'Now, it's up to you!'_

"Huh, Takeru-kun, what's wrong? Is something bothering you?" Hikari asked seeing Takeru 'fighting' with himself, namely his subconscious.

"Oh, n-n-no!" Takeru answered immediately, "Umm, c-can I tell you something?" he asked.

"Yes?" Hikari smiled.

"I-I…" Takeru tried to speak, but it seemed that his words were held in his throat.

"Yes?" Hikari asked again.

"I lo…" Takeru stated, before he was cut by Azulongmon who said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Children, Baihumon will be here in five minutes!"

Now Takeru couldn't speak anymore. Azulongmon had not only distracted them, but also made him forgetting what he would say.

"Umm, Takeru-kun, what did you want to say?" Hikari asked him.

"Uh, just forget it this time, I'll tell you later!" Takeru replied, and then he and Hikari went together to join their friends.

* * *

"Gatomon, Patamon, can I speak to you two for a moment?" Veemon asked Gatomon. 

"Umm, sure, why not? You don't mind, right, Gatomon?" Patamon asked.

"Of course I'm not." Gatomon replied, and then three of them left the crowds.

"Listen, I accidentally saw you two last night when you two were kissing." Veemon began to speak; both Gatomon and Patamon blushed.

"I-I'm sorry, it's my own fault not to realize that you're there, Vee-kun, so…" Gatomon tried to explain, but she really got surprised to see that Veemon was actually smiling.

"Huh, what's wrong with you, Vee?" Patamon asked confusedly and rubbed Veemon's forehead, seeing that was not the normal way Veemon would act, "Are you got some fever attack?"

"Of course not, silly, I'm fine as you can see!" Veemon's cheeks turned a little red as Patamon said that, leaving Patamon and Gatomon in confusion.

"So, what's your point here?" Gatomon asked.

"No, I'm not jealous like you two thought of me. I've thought this over and over, and really, as your friend, I'm really happy to see you going on so well. Patamon, you're really an ideal man for Gatomon, please take care on her for me. You two are my best friends!" Veemon stated, although deep in his heart, he didn't want to lose Gatomon, but for the sake of his friends' happiness, he chose to sacrifice his love.

"Wha-, but really, Gatomon and I are only friends, there is no more…" Patamon blushed madly as he tried to conceal his feeling.

"Y-yes, he's right, don't get us wrong, I…, we're only friends!" Gatomon also tried to hide her feeling.

Veemon smiled, and he knew that those two were fibbed, and then he stated calmly, "Well, we'll see then. I'm sure that the answer from my statement is already in your hearts. You two only have to wait till you realize that. Now, if you excuse me, I'd like to speak with Wormmon before we're going." And then Veemon left them.

Patamon sweatdropped. _'That was definitely not Veemon_,_'_ he thought. A real Veemon would kill him at once if he saw that scene. Really, there must be something wrong with him.

"S-so, Gato-chan, shall we be going too?" Patamon asked Gatomon after Azulongmon called them.

"S-sure, let's go, Pata-kun!" Gatomon's cheeks turned a little red, hearing her sweetheart calling her.

* * *

"Wormmon, I'd like to talk to you, do you have any time?" Veemon asked Wormmon. 

"Sure, I'll always have time for you, buddy!" Wormmon replied.

"Listen, I don't really hope that this'll happen, but in case that I get captured by the Lord of Millennium…" Veemon stated, but he was interrupted by his buddy.

"Hey, don't ever say like that! No, you'll always be with us! We'll protect you even if we must face the death!" Wormmon yelled.

Veemon smiled and said calmly, "I'm glad that you think that. Honestly, I don't want to be captured, but as you see, all the Millennium Generals are targeted me and you all as well, so there's still a possibility that I might get captured by one of them. In that case, I'd like you to take some of my Digital DNA, so even if I get captured, you still can digivolve into Paildramon, please protect Daisuke for me, okay?"

Wormmon couldn't say anything after Veemon said that, but he nodded, and then Veemon took some of his Digital DNA and gave it to Wormmon.

"Buddy, even if you say that, I still believe that you'll always be with us, but if that really happen (which I hope that'll never happen), I'll protect everyone for you!" Wormmon stated.

"Thanks, Pal, you're really my best friend!" Veemon smiled, "Now, let's go, Baihumon should arrive soon!"

* * *

"Baihumon should arrive soon!" Azulongmon stated, "Please gather here, everyone!" 

After he said that, a silhouette of tiger began to appear in front of them. Baihumon, the Sovereign of Western Region in shaped of huge white tiger had arrived.

"Children, meet Baihumon, he'll escort you all to the West Region to seek Gnome." Azulongmon introduced him.

"So, finally we meet, DigiDestined. I've been looking forward about this moment. Are you ready for this!?" Baihumon asked.

"Of course we are, that's why we are here, right, everyone!?" Daisuke shouted.

"Yeah, we won't let that damn Lord of Millennium took over our beloved Digital World!" Taichi and Yamato shouted.

"Together we'll protect this world!" Sora and Miyako stated.

"For the sake of peace…" Ken began.

"…We'll fight, no matter what it'll take!" Iori added.

"Good, that's the spirit, and I keep your words! Don't you dare to take back that!" Baihumon said.

"Boy, Baihumon sure a strict one!" Daisuke whispered to Veemon.

"Of course, he may be the youngest of the Sovereigns, but he is also the strongest of them, beware, we'd better keep our words, or Baihumon will never forgive us for that!" Veemon replied.

"Well, I see you have been ready, so let's go!" Baihumon shouted, and teleported them to the Western Region.

"Children, be careful!" Azulongmon whispered, and then he flew away.

* * *

Western Region… 

"We're arrived!" Baihumon shouted as they emerged.

"So, where do we have to go to reach the Gaia Rock?" Koushiro asked.

"Well, you've to look it for yourself! It's in the middle of this Region, and I'm pretty sure you can find it. I heard from Azulongmon that you are really good for that talent, so I want to see it! I'll be waiting in Tiger's Gate, if you can come back in one piece, of course!" Baihumon stated sarcastically, and then he vanished.

All of the DigiDestined sweatdropped. For them, Baihumon was not too far from Zhuqiaomon; he was no help at all!

"Man, and I think that only Zhuqiaomon that was obnoxious!" Daisuke commented.

"Is he always like that?" Willis asked.

"Yup, Baihumon may be harsh, but he's kind, just like Azulongmon, believe me!" Armadillomon answered.

"Are you sure about that? I thought he's even meaner than Zhuqiaomon." Iori stated sarcastically.

"Yeah, I do think so." Taichi added.

"Shh, please Taichi, not so loud, this is his territory, if he hears that, I'm sure that he'll eat you alive!" Agumon joked, and all of them laughed.

"Guys, please, stop joking, we have a serious mission here!" Sora reminded them.

"Yes, Sora's right, let's start looking for Gaia Rock!" Koushiro stated.

"Yeah, let's go guys!" Daisuke shouted cheerily, and all of them nodded.

* * *

"He, he, it looks like they've been moving, just as I'd expected!" GigaSeadramon whispered as he flew high to lurk on the DigiDestined, "Darkdramon should have waited near the Gaia Rock, and then, it's party time!" 

"Fool Darkdramon, I can't believe that he took bait to my sweet trap so easily; when he gets stuck to fight DigiDestined, I'll deliver Veemon to my master, and then I'll get promoted to the first rank General to replace that damned creature he'd made." GigaSeadramon chuckled evilly, and then he continued to follow the DigiDestined.

* * *

"Look!" Jyou shouted, pointing the huge mountain in the middle of the desert, "Is that Gaia Rock?" 

"Hmm, that mountain match the condition Baihumon's told us earlier, so that must be Gaia Rock!" Koushiro stated.

"Well, we'd better reach that fast before any Millennium Generals could ambush us!" Hawkmon stated, remembering when they got ambushed by Chaosdramon in Iris' Shrine.

So, they hurried to reach the Gaia Rock, without noticing that they were being watched by Darkdramon.

"What a bunch of fools! You'll never reach Gaia Rock! You'll die in my hands!" Darkdramon whispered.

* * *

"Huh, what's wrong, Terriermon?" Willis asked as Terriermon stopped and began to look around. 

"I hear something!" Terriermon replied.

"Yeah, I can hear it too, someone or something is watching us!" Lopmon added.

"Is that so?" Gomamon asked, "I don't sense anything!"

"Well, Terriermon and Lopmon have bunny ears that allow them to hear more sensitively than others, so they could hear even small voice." Willis explained.

"…And it looks like that they're right! Look above!" Veemon shouted, pointing a strange cyborg Digimon in black armor hovering above them. He had a spear head attached in his right arm.

"He, he, you're really special one, Veemon! You can feel me even you don't see me!" Darkdramon stated.

"What the hell is this Digimon!?" Daisuke asked.

"He's Darkdramon, the cyborg dragon Digimon, Mega level, his attacks are including Dark Roar and Giga Stick Lance!" Koushiro explained after scanning his data.

"What!? Are you one of that damned Millennium Generals!?" Taichi asked rudely.

"And if I am?" Darkdramon asked back sarcastically, "What will you do, puny human?"

"Grr, you ask for it, Agumon, get ready!" Taichi shouted.

"Grouchy, grouchy, okay, I'm Darkdramon, the third rank Millennium General. Now if you really care about your life, hand down Veemon to me!" he demanded.

"Over my dead body!!" Daisuke shouted.

"Not without a fight!" Wormmon added.

"Get ready everyone!" Taichi shouted.

* * *

Meanwhile, when all the Digimon prepared for digivolution, GigaSeadramon had arrived and readied to ambush them. He smiled maliciously as he saw Veemon got ready to digivolve. 

Without warning, GigaSeadramon appeared silently in the back of the DigiDestined, and prepared to attack.

* * *

"Veemon, get ready!" Daisuke shouted as he pointed his D-3 to Veemon. Light emerged from the D-3 and slowly changed Veemon's form. 

But before Veemon could digivolve, a voice shouted from his back, "Giga Sea Destroyer!" and a stream of energy torpedo appeared, hitting Veemon dead.

"Arrgh!!" Veemon yelled in pain as the stream of energy hit, making him knocked down for several meters.

"Veemon!!" Daisuke cried, trying to reach Veemon, but before that, Darkdramon quickly made his first move and firing his Dark Roar on Veemon, making him yelled more in pain, and the fell unconscious.

"No!! Veemon!!" Daisuke tried to reach his partner, but before he could do it, a long creature appeared and swiftly took Veemon away.

"He, he, he, Veemon, you're mine!!" the long creature laughed maniacally as he took Veemon away with his mouth.

"I-it can't be!" Takeru stated in horror, "Another MetalSeadramon!?"

"No, he's not! Like Chaosdramon, he's the stronger, improved version of MetalSeadramon! He's…" Patamon explained.

"GigaSeadramon!!" Tentomon added.

"Oh, I'm flattered that you all know about me!" GigaSeadramon said sarcastically as he flew to Darkdramon's side.

"Bastard, what are you doing on our friend!?" Wormmon yelled in anger.

"Can't you see it!? He's destined to serve the Lord of Millennium; I'm only helping him to fulfill his destiny!" GigaSeadramon simply replied, and then he began to fly, "Darkdramon, I left the DigiDestined's matter to you!"

""No, Veemon!!" Daisuke tried to chase GigaSeadramon, but Darkdramon blocked the way.

"Well, GigaSeadramon will be the last problem for you. Now, your opponent is me, Darkdramon!" he shouted.

"We haven't had any choice!" Taichi stated, "We'll have to defeat him quickly, and then chase GigaSeadramon down! Agumon, get ready!" Taichi shouted.

"You too, Gomamon!" Jyou added.

* * *

WARP DIGIVOLVE… 

Agumon warp digivolved into…WarGreymon!

Gomamon warp digivolved into...Plesiomon!

* * *

"Patamon, get ready!" Takeru shouted. 

"You too, Gatomon!" Hikari added.

"Hawkmon, are you ready!?" Miyako shouted.

"Armadillomon, you too!" Iori added.

"Let's do it!" Ken shouted.

* * *

DIGIVOLUTION… 

Patamon digivolved into…Angemon!

Armadillomon digivolved into…Ankylomon!

Hawkmon digivolved into…Aquilamon!

Wormmon digivolved into…Stingmon!

Tentomon digivolved into…Kabuterimon! Kabuterimon digivolved into…MegaKabuterimon!

Terriermon digivolved into…Gargomon! Gargomon digivolved into…Rapidmon!

Lopmon digivolved into…Wendigomon! Wendigomon digivolved into…Antylamon!

* * *

"C'mon Iori, let's beat this guy!" Takeru shouted. 

"Let's do it!" Iori replied.

"Hikari, are you ready?" Miyako asked.

"Anytime!" Hikari responded.

* * *

DNA DIGIVOLUTION… 

Gatomon…

Aquilamon…

DNA digivolved into…Silphymon!

Angemon…

Ankylomon…

DNA digivolved into…Shakkoumon!

* * *

"Quick, Daisuke, Ken, Stingmon, we'll hold him down here! You three chase GigaSeadramon!" Silphymon shouted. 

"Yeah, don't worry about us; Veemon's safety is our first priority!" Shakkoumon added.

"Gah, you won't get anywhere!!" Dark Roar!!" Darkdramon fired dark matter from his mouth, aiming Stingmon, but the attack got blocked by WarGreymon's Brave Shield.

"Now, go!!" WarGreymon shouted, and then Stingmon carried both Daisuke and Ken, while Plesiomon held down Darkdramon using his Shaking Pulse attack.

"Thank you…all of you!" Daisuke whispered as Stingmon flew from the battlefield.

"I'll go too!" Willis shouted, "Perhaps they'll need help! Rapidmon, Antylamon, follow Stingmon!"

"Okay, good luck!" Taichi stated as he saw Willis and his Digimon followed Stingmon.

* * *

Meanwhile… 

"Hmm, it looks like that fool Darkdramon couldn't hold all of them there…" GigaSeadramon stated as he saw Stingmon, Antylamon, and Rapidmon followed him.

"Okay, GigaSeadramon, give back Veemon!" Daisuke shouted as he approached him.

"He, he, he, in your dream!" GigaSeadramon shouted, and then he let out a strange cry. Shortly after that, 3 MegaSeadramon appeared.

"You called for us, boss?" One of them asked.

"Yes, and now your job are to hold these three brats while I go delivering Veemon to my master!" GigaSeadramon commanded.

"Leave that you us, we won't let you down! Please continue your journey, boss!" the other MegaSeadramon stated.

"Oh, no, not again!" Daisuke whined as he saw GigaSeadramon continued his journey while they got stuck with 3 MegaSeadramon.

"Okay, then we'll need to finish these guys quickly!" Rapidmon shouted.

"Yeah, bring it on!!" Antylamon added.

"I'll help too!" Stingmon shouted.

So, in the two different places, a great battle emerged, but now GigaSeadramon had caught Veemon and got ready to deliver him to the Lord of Millennium.

**To be continued…

* * *

**

A/N: Finally, finished, after spending many hours to write this one. I hope this chapter is better than before.

Oh yeah, I've got an idea to give Veemon a girlfriend, but she'll be an OC Digimon. What do you think? Please tell me via review whether you like it or not.

And of course, please read and review!! Any kind of suggestions is welcomed, as well as criticisms, so please review so I know that you liked my story or not.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Here comes chapter 11. Sorry for the late update, I need to study for the upcoming examinations in this December.

Thanks for all of the reviewers. Thanks for the suggestions. For Frozen Twins, I'll try to put Taiora in my next chapter, but please forgive me if the romance isn't too good, because I'm never good at writing romance.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Digimon and all of its stuffs belong to Toei Animation, Namco-Bandai, and Akiyoshi Hongo.

Disclaimer finished, let's move to the story, shall we? Oh yeah, please review!

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**The Meaning of Life**

_Taichi's group…_

"Let's finish this guy quickly!" WarGreymon shouted.

"Hah, big talk, WarGreymon! I'm the one who should say that! Take this, Giga Stick Lance!!" Darkdramon unveiled his gigantic spear and charged WarGreymon. WarGreymon blocked the spear with his Dramon Destroyers, but Darkdramon managed to send WarGreymon flying, thanks to his extremely high strength.

"You're history, WarGreymon!" Darkdramon shouted, "Take this! Dark Roar!" Darkdramon fired a huge dark matter from his mouth.

"Not so fast! Water Tail Blaster!" Plesiomon shouted, firing water jet from his tail.

"Justice Beam!" Shakkoumon shouted, firing orange beam from his eyes.

"Static Force!" Silphymon shouted, and the tree combination attacks hit Darkdramon's Dark Roar, exploding and canceling each other.

"He's…very strong!" Yamato stated, and when the smog vanished, Darkdramon was also vanished.

"Huh, where did he go!?" Plesiomon asked confusedly.

Suddenly, from the back of them, Darkdramon appeared and his left hand turned into monster's mouth. He smirked as he saw WarGreymon, Plesiomon, Shakkoumon, Silphymon, and MegaKabuterimon trying to find him.

"This should put the end of all of you!! Howling Demon!!" Darkdramon shouted, firing stream of pure darkness energy. Luckily, WarGreymon realized that and...

"Everyone, fan out!!" WarGreymon shouted, and they spread just in the nick of time, so no one got hit by that attack.

"Humph, lucky that you could avoid that attack! But that's only a warm-up!" Darkdramon mocked all of them.

"Why you, take this! Terra Force!!" WarGreymon fired a massive ball of energy from his hand, but Darkdramon easily evaded Terra Force, making all of the DigiDestined jawdropped.

"You call that an attack!?" Darkdramon mocked WarGreymon, "You can't even hit a roof with that attack!"

"Darn, he's so agile!" MegaKabuterimon muttered, "Take this, Horn Buster!" MegaKabuterimon charged at Darkdramon, only resulted another missed attack.

"My, my, I thought that you're very strong regarding that you've defeated my comrade Chaosdramon, but it seems that I was wrong." Darkdramon shook his head.

"Shut up!" Plesiomon shouted, "Take this, Sorrow Blue!!" He shouted, unleashing a weird sound wave that he used to defeat Salamander.

"Now's our chance!" Silphymon shouted, seeing Darkdramon was getting paralyzed from the Sorrow Blue attack, "Static Force!"

"Justice Beam!" Shakkoumon followed.

"Terra Force!" WarGreymon shouted.

"Mega Blaster!" MegaKabuterimon joined, firing a huge electric ball, and these deadly combination attacks merged, producing a huge explosion in Darkdramon.

"Did we do it?" Plesiomon asked.

"Don't know." WarGreymon shook his head, "This guy is very strong, and so I doubt that we can finish him so easily like that."

And WarGreymon was right! As the smog cleared, Darkdramon emerged again, although he received some damage from the previous attack, he could stand still.

"What!? That's impossible!!" Shakkoumon shocked, "He should be badly damaged from our attacks, but…"

"He…he…he…, do you really think you can defeat me with that kind of strategy!?" Darkdramon chuckled evilly, "Okay then, if you ask for a rough way, I'll give that to you! Prepare to die!! Dragon Force, activated!!" Darkdramon shouted, and then a strange aura started to engulf him, drastically increasing his strength and speed.

* * *

_Daisuke, Ken, and Willis…_

Stingmon, Antylamon, and Rapidmon had to face three MegaSeadramon, the henchmen of GigaSeadramon. Antylamon and Rapidmon managed to match MegaSeadramon's strength, but Stingmon couldn't, because he was only a champion level, while MegaSeadramon was an ultimate.

"Stingmon, don't give up!" Ken shouted, seeing his partner got thrashed by MegaSeadramon's Lightning Javelin.

"Hah, just like I thought! You're useless without ExVeemon!" The MegaSeadramon that faced him mocked.

"Silence!" Stingmon yelled, "I'll show you that I can be more than match for you! Spiking Strike!" Stingmon shouted, charging MegaSeadramon at high speed, but like before, MegaSeadramon simply blocked that attack with his horn, and then knocked him again.

"Let's see then. I won't kill you at once. I'll play with you first!" MegaSeadramon chuckled seeing Stingmon struggled to stand.

Meanwhile, the battle between Rapidmon and another MegaSeadramon was a stalemate. Both of them were equal in strength.

"Rapid Fire!" Rapidmon shouted, firing several missiles on MegaSeadramon.

"Lightning Javelin!" MegaSeadramon countered the Rapid Fire with a bolt of lightning, causing a big explosion where those attacks met.

"Damn it, if we don't hurry, we'll never catch up with GigaSeadramon!" Rapidmon muttered.

"Rapidmon!" Willis called his partner, "Try your ultimate attack! Perhaps it'll work!"

"Ultimate attack?" Daisuke asked, "What's that?"

"Well, see it for yourself." Willis grinned. After that, Rapidmon unleashed his Golden Triangle attack, and MegaSeadramon didn't realize that, so that attack hit MegaSeadramon dead.

"You're finished! Rapid Fire!!" Rapidmon didn't waste this good chance and fired his missiles again, succesfully finishing this one.

* * *

Meanwhile, Antylamon managed to outmatch the last MegaSeadramon. Of course, being one of 12 holy beasts, he got more strength than his twins, and it seemed that the MegaSeadramon he faced was the weakest from the three, so the battle took place unbalanced. 

"Bunny Blades!!" Antylamon shouted, throwing pink crescent blades from both of his hands, hitting this MegaSeadramon dead. MegaSeadramon tried to counter with Lightning Javelin, but Antylamon avoided in with ease.

"Hmm, it looks like that you're less experienced than the other two." Antylamon sweatdropped, seeing how weak this one, "I should have let Stingmon faced you."

"Shut up! Perhaps I'm the youngest of us, but I'll show you!" MegaSeadramon shouted angrily.

"Normally, I want to, but for now, I have no time to play with you! Take this, Ashipatoravana!" Antylamon shouted, and he began to spin like tornado, striking MegaSeadramon dead again, "It's over for you!!" and with the final blow, MegaSeadramon was turned back into data.

"Yup, one has down, two more to go!" Antylamon stated, and then he went to help Stingmon. With two of them got defeated, the tide of battle had turned into the DigiDestined's advantages, so in the nick of time, they could defeat the third one.

* * *

_Meanwhile, somewhere in the West Region…_

"Mou, Brother, how much longer do we need to walk to our home?" A bunny-shaped Digimon with two big ears and two smaller ones, Lunamon, asked his twin brother, a small orange lion shaped Digimon with a burning tail and a flame spewed in his forehead, Coronamon.

"Just a little more, sis." Coronamon replied, "Man, this spy work is really taken a lot of our time!"

"You're lying, aren't you, bro?" Lunamon asked innocently, "Remember, when Baihumon asked us to do this job, without thought any longer, you accepted the job, right?"

"Bah, that time I didn't think they would put us in the war field like now!" Coronamon spat.

"Aww, come on, bro!" Lunamon replied, "No one would ever think that we're spies, right?"

"Yeah, unless you tell them." Coronamon replied grouchily. He sure was in a bad mood today, because today, they didn't find anything new, not a thing, after spending a lot of time. Lunamon sweatdropped seeing his brother acted like that.

"Well, at least we didn't catch up with one of the Millennium Generals." Lunamon stated, "I can't imagine if they find out who we are."

"Oh yeah, if we met them, I doubt that we would walk here now." Coronamon replied, "Isn't that obvious!?"

"Hmm, speaking of them, is that one of them?" Lunamon asked, pointing to the sky. Yeah, that was GigaSeadramon, with the captive Veemon wrapped unconsciously in his tail.

"What in the heaven's name is GigaSeadramon doing here!?" Coronamon asked confusedly, "I thought the other spy told us that GigaSeadramon was stationed in the Ebonwumon's territory!"

"He should be." Lunamon replied, "But, look, bro, he's carrying someone! Is that…Veemon?" Lunamon asked.

"So what?" Coronamon asked back, "Perhaps GigaSeadramon wants him for dinner or something like that."

"Mou, brother, how lame can you be?" Lunamon pouted, "There's no other Veemon other than this one. He must be the one whom Lord of Millennium was after! Lord Baihumon did tell us about him, right?"

"Yeah, so what?" Coronamon asked impatiently, "He's none of our business!"

"Yeah, I know that, bro, but I have a strange feeling that we need to help him right now. So, please, bro, just this time, okay? Pretty please?" Lunamon asked his brother with very sweet voice and made puppy eyes.

"Umm, I…, gaah, all right, all right, you know that I can't stand that!" Coronamon yelled, knowing that he couldn't refuse his sister, "So, you're going to help THAT dragon, right?"

"Yay, thank you, bro, I know you'll see it my way!" Lunamon cheered.

"Oh no, in the name of Zeus, she did that again!" Coronamon slapped his face; blue stripes appeared below his left eye, "I just can't refuse her."

"So, let's do it!" Lunamon shouted, while Coronamon sighed again seeing his sister's act.

* * *

"He…he…he, this is easier that I imagined." GigaSeadramon chuckled as he flew, "No one can stop me now. I just can see my lord promoting me into the first rank Millennium General." 

Without his awareness, below him, Coronamon and Lunamon had digivolved into Flaremon and Crescemon, both of them had been ready, to rescue Veemon.

"I still say that this isn't a good idea!" Flaremon whispered, "We're no match for that Mega, you know!"

"Indeed we are." Crescemon stated, which made his brother did anime fall, "But the battle isn't all about strength, right bro? Perhaps we can do something to outwit him. We have to use the advantage that he didn't see us and perhaps we can do a little trick on him."

"All right, all right!" His brother surrendered, "Let's see what we can do!"

* * *

As GigaSeadramon flew, he didn't realize that Flaremon and Crescemon had been following him, waiting for an opening to attack. This could be explained, because he was still in the euphoria of his succeeding to outsmart the DigiDestined and then capture Veemon. he thought that no one could stop him now, regarding that Darkdramon should hold most of the DigiDestined, and the 3 henchmen of him would hold the rest of them, namely, Daisuke, Ken, and Willis. 

"Huh, GigaSeadramon sure acts strangely." Flaremon stated, "I've never seen any Millennium Generals acted like this."

"That's good, then!" Crescemon replied, "This only means one thing: chance!"

"Okay then, I'll attack from the front…" Flaremon stated.

"…and I'll try to rescue Veemon. Be careful, bro!" Crescemon added, and then the two of them split up.

Just when GigaSeadramon was inattentive, Flaremon quickly made his move with his trademark technique, 'Red Lion Dance' and without warning; he punched and kicked GigaSeadramon in his face with fire force. This attack didn't damage GigaSeadramon at all, but it sure shocked him.

"Huh, who did that!?" GigaSeadramon asked irately, "Who dared to challenge GigaSeadramon the Great!?"

"Well, I did!" Flaremon quickly appeared in front of him, "Wanna try more?"

"Gaah, how dare you!" GigaSeadramon yelled, "Take this, you puny Digimon! Giga Sea Destroyer!!" and like he did on Veemon, he unleashed a torrent of energy wave to Flaremon, but this hairy orange lion Digimon could avoid it, because he had been ready from the beginning.

"Well, as you can see, this puny Digimon could avoid GigaSeadramon's the Great attack!" Flaremon mocked him, which made GigaSeadramon even more furious.

Meanwhile, in the back of GigaSeadramon's four miles long body, Crescemon had made her landing there. She observed his brother kept distracting GigaSeadramon, and whispered, "Great, that's my brother! Just hold on a little, bro!"

Then, she walked quickly into GigaSeadramon's tail, where he held Veemon. Thanks for the distraction that Flaremon caused, GigaSeadramon no longer held Veemon tightly, thus giving her chance to take Veemon from his tail. After that, he gave a signal to his brother, and then she leapt from GigaSeadramon's body.

Back to the front, Flaremon unleashed another Red Lion Dance to GigaSeadramon, although it caused absolutely no damage on him, but it kept distracting him, and as Crescemon gave him the signal, he smirked and shouted, "Hey, you leviathan, shall we put the end of this!?"

"The name is GigaSeadramon, you bastard! And you have absolutely no chance of finishing me, you damned hairy lion!" GigaSeadramon growled angrily.

"And who said that I would finish you!?" Flaremon smirked, "Just look at your tail, you leviathan! Don't you know that you're missing something!?"

"What are you-!" GigaSeadramon yelled, but then he realized that Veemon wasn't in his tail anymore, and became even more furious, seeing Crescemon fled with Veemon in her hands.

"Like I said before, shall we put the end of this!? I'm tired, you know!" Flaremon shouted, "Take this, Crimson Beast King Wave!!" Flaremon shouted and releasing lion shaped energy wave from both of his fists. GigaSeadramon didn't realize that, and then wave exploded in front of him.

As the fog cleared, Flaremon had disappeared to nowhere, and so had Crescemon, which made GigaSeadramon even more enraged.

"Curses! Being outwitted by two ultimate Digimon! I'll be a laughing stock in the Millennium Generals!" GigaSeadramon spat crankily.

Suddenly he got a mind telepathy from the Lord of Millennium, _'That's enough, GigaSeadramon, although you have failed to bring Veemon to me! Now go back to the Millennium Castle! I have a task for you to do in order to capture Veemon in the next time!'_

'_But Master…' _GigaSeadramon protested.

'_No 'buts', now go, I shall wait in the castle!' _The Lord of Millennium commanded him.

'_Yes, Master!'_ GigaSeadramon answered, and then he warped, just in the time Daisuke, Ken, and Willis reached that place.

* * *

"Damn it, we're too late!" Stingmon yelled, "I've failed to fulfill my promise to Veemon." 

"Don't blame yourself like that, Stingmon!" Ken smiled, "You've tried your best!"

"Yes, although Veemon is captured…" Daisuke started, which made all of them silence, "You meant well, I'm sure Veemon won't give up like that! That damned Lord of Millennium won't be so easy turning our friend into his servant, I'm sure!" Daisuke smiled.

"Well, that's our Daisuke!" Willis stated, "Now, let's go help the other fight Darkdramon!"

"Right, they need us, so let's go!" Ken added.

Yes, unknown to them, Veemon had been freed (?) by Flaremon and Crescemon, although it hadn't been cleared yet whether they were allies or enemies.

* * *

_Back to Taichi's group…_

Meanwhile, the tide of battle between Darkdramon and the DigiDestined had turned out into Darkdramon's advantages. While unleashing the Dragon Force, Darkdramon's strength and speed were greatly increased, so all the Digimon were having a hard time to lay hits Darkdramon, while Darkdramon could hit them with ease.

"Damn, he had been so fast, and now he's faster and stronger than before!" WarGreymon spat as he barely dodged Darkdramon's Giga Stick Lance.

"Oh no, after he used that strange technique, his strength and speed reached almost 300!" Koushiro shouted as he analyzed Darkdramon's status in his laptop.

"What should we do then!?" Taichi asked impatiently as he saw Darkdramon dodged WarGreymon's Great Tornado with east.

"Is that all!?" Darkdramon mocked them, "Okay then, shall we finish this!?" and then he charged for another Howling Demon attack.

"Bunny Blades!!" before he could unleash the Howling Demon attack, suddenly Antylamon interrupted with his attack which made Darkdramon startled and cancelled his attack.

"Rapid Fire!!" Rapidmon followed with his attack, and then Stingmon followed by his Spiking Strike attack. These combination attacks didn't damage Darkdramon much, but it gave time for the all of the Digimon to recover a little.

"Daisuke, Ken, Willis! You're back!!" Takeru shouted, "How about Veemon?"

"We can save that matter later, we need to defeat this creature first!" Daisuke replied.

"Hikari, let's do it!" Miyako shouted, and Hikari nodded. Both of them pointed their D-3s to Silphymon and a burst of light emerged.

* * *

MEGA DIGIVOLUTION… 

Silphymon mega digivolved into…Valkyrimon!

* * *

""Yup, with this, at least I can match his speed!" Valkyrimon stated, "I'm sure that he will not be able to maintain his superior strength and speed for a long time!" 

Darkdramon shocked a little as Valkyrimon emerged, but then he chuckled again, "Well done, another mega Digimon, just bring it on to entertain me!"

"Okay, you asked for it!" Valkyrimon shouted, "Try this, Feral Sword!!"

"Giga Stick Lance!!" Darkdramon countered with his spear of darkness. Both attack met in the middle and knocked both of them back.

"Now's our chance!" WarGreymon shouted, "Terra Force!"

"Justice Beam!" Shakkoumon followed, firing orange beam from his eyes.

"Mega Blaster!" MegaKabuterimon shouted, firing electric ball from his mouth.

"Shaking Pulse!" Plesiomon joined with his supersonic attack.

"Bunny Blades!" Antylamon followed.

"Golden Triangle!" Rapidmon fired golden triangle shaped beam.

"Moon Shooter!" Stingmon fired a ball of energy.

Again, these combination attacks merged into one massive sphere on energy that hit Darkdramon dead then explode. As the fog cleared, Darkdramon could be seen badly injured from that attack.

"Oh, I got it!" Koushiro shouted, "By increasing his strength and speed, he sacrificed his defense! So, by this time, his defense is in the lowest state. Even if we don't hit him with full force, we still can damage him!"

"So, in the short, you say that there's a price for raising his strength and speed, right?" Sora asked.

"Yup, so this is really our chance!" Koushiro nodded.

"Wrong! I just began!" Darkdramon suddenly intercepted, "Take this! Inferno!!" and as he shouted, countless fireballs appeared in front of him, and he simply said, "Go and burn them!" and those fireballs seemed to obey his command and began to fly to the DigiDestined.

"I'll try to block some! Water Tail Blaster!!" Plesiomon shouted, unleashing his water attack and he succeeded to block some of the fireballs.

"Brave Shield!!" WarGreymon shouted, enlarging his shield to protect the DigiDestined. The rest of them unleashed their respected attacks to block the fireballs. After that, again, Darkdramon vanished front their sight and quickly appeared in the back of them.

"It's over now! Howling Demon!!" Darkdramon shouted and fired his attack once more and this time, he managed to hit MegaKabuterimon, Stingmon, Rapidmon, and, Antylamon at once, degenerating them into their rookie forms.

"Impossible, just in one hit, he could take out 4 Digimon at once!" Ken shocked and quickly ran to aid his partner.

"Mm, and there's more!" Darkdramon shouted, and then he vanished again and quickly appeared in front of WarGreymon, "You're out, WarGreymon! Giga Stick Lance!"

WarGreymon, of course, didn't realize that, and got stabbed in the chest, but thankfully, not a deadly one, making him degenerated into Agumon. Then, Darkdramon turned his attention into Plesiomon and Valkyrimon, and stated, "Only two more to go!"

"Wait, are you forgetting about me?" Shakkoumon shouted, "I'm still here!"

"Well, well, and what just exactly a mere ultimate like you can do to me!?" Darkdramon mocked him, "But alright, if you want to die first, I'll be gladly to do that to you!" Darkdramon stated.

"Takeru, Iori, plese lend us your strength, to protect everyone!" Shakkoumon whispered, and answering that, Takeru's and Iori's D-3s shined brightly, slowly changing Shakkoumon's form.

* * *

MEGA DIGIVOLUTION… 

Shakkoumon mega digivolved into…ClavisAngemon!

* * *

Everyone glanced in amazed seeing Shakkoumon's new form. Now he had a more humanly form, and his wings also grew bigger. In his right hand, he held weapon which represented his name, The Clave (Key). 

"Is…is that Shakkoumon's mega form?" Hikari asked amazedly.

"ClavisAngemon, the angel of virtue, is one of the celestial Digimon. His weapon, The Clave, can be used to open the gate of Zenith, the holy gate which stores a huge amount of light energy! Other than that, he can also summons many kinds of dimensional gates." Koushiro explained after scanning ClavisAngemon's data into his laptop.

"Bravo, go and teach that Darkdramon a lesson!" Takeru and Iori encouraged their partner.

"Time to put the end of this, Darkdramon!" ClavisAngemon shouted.

"You? Finish me? Don't make me laugh!" Darkdramon shouted arrogantly, "Just what exactly you can do to me!? Take this, Dark Roar!!" he shouted and unleashed a huge dark matter from his mouth.

ClavisAngemon didn't react at first; he just closed his eyes and chanted some kind of spell, and finally, as the ball of darkness came near him, he shouted, "Dimension Gate: Absorption Gate!!" and like Shakkoumon did on BlackWarGreymon's Terra Destroyer, the gate that ClavisAngemon's created absorbed Darkdramon's Dark Roar with ease.

"He absorbed it!?" Darkdramon yelled, shocked, of course, because ClavisAngemon could absorb his attack with ease.

"Surprised!? I guess that answered your question, right!?" ClavisAngemon asked, "Now is my turn, take this! Dimension Gate: Radiation Gate!!" ClavisAngemon shouted, and once again opened a dimensional gate, and this time, it released a beam of light energy, and hit Darkdramon dead.

"Wow, cool! Keep it up, ClavisAngemon!" Ken cheered.

"He's really strong!" Taichi commented as he took care of Agumon's injury, "The tide has turned back for us, this time we'll surely win!"

"Gaah, not so fast!" Darkdramon yelled angrily, "I'll finish you in no time, take this-"

"Punishing Storm!!" before Darkdramon could do something, Valkyrimon unleashed her storm attack on Darkdramon, which paralyzed Darkdramon for awhile.

"Quick, let's finish him now!" Plesiomon shouted, "Sorrow Blue, maximum invocation!!" he shouted, and unleashed his soundwave attack three times louder than before, making Darkdramon stunned even more.

"Okay then, let's do it!" ClavisAngemon shouted, "Let's combine our attack, Valkyrimon!"

Valkyrimon nodded, and then she shouted, "You're finished, Laser Javelin!!"

"Dimension Gate: Gate of Zenith!!" ClavisAngemon shouted, opening a gate of light energy, and letting a huge amount of holy energy escaped from there.

"Extinguish!!" Both of them shouted, and then their attack combined into a huge blast of energy that hit Darkdramon, and successfully defeated him.

"Ahh, damn you, DigiDestined!!" Darkdramon shouted loudly, and then he turned back into data and disappeared.

* * *

"Did we do that!?" Takeru asked to ensure that Darkdramon had completely been defeated. 

"I think so, I can't sense his presence anymore!" Patamon replied after he and Armadillomon got degenerated from ClavisAngemon.

"By the way, why were you three going back here without Veemon!?" Yamato asked, "I thought you wanted to rescue him, right!?"

"Oh, that…" Daisuke replied sadly, "…in the middle of the way, GigaSeadramon called his henchmen to make us busy, and then after we defeated them, we chased him again, but it-it looked like that we're…" Daisuke couldn't continue.

"…A bit too late." Wormmon added sadly, "When we arrived, GigaSeadramon had teleported himself into somewhere else! Damn it, I were stronger, it wouldn't be happen!"

"Don't blame yourself like that; you've tried your best!" Terriermon and Lopmon patted his back, "If you talked about who to blame, it's entirely GigaSeadramon's fault!"

"Hmm, weird!" Willis suddenly stated. Everyone glanced confusedly at him.

"What's so weird?" Ken asked.

"Don't you remember when we saw him before he teleported himself!?" Terriermon asked, "I could swear that I heard him cursing about something or someone!"

"Yeah, I heard that too, although it was not too clear, but it definitely a cursing!" Lopmon added, "When I told Willis, he said that that was so strange, given that he finally caught Veemon, but then he was so angry like that."

"Anyway, that's not important now, we need to get Gnome as soon as possible, and then Undine. We want to save Veemon, right!?" Taichi reminded them.

"Yeah, you're right! We can't waste time anymore!" Jyou added.

"Then, let's go!" Miyako shouted, "To the Gaia Rock!!"

* * *

Dark Area, Millennium Castle… 

"It's about time…" The Lord of Millennium smirked. He had successfully revived Millenniummon, the evil dragon Digimon who also got sealed 1000 year ago by getting separated into Kimeramon and Chaosdramon, "Welcome back, Millenniummon!"

The newly revived evil dragon Digimon didn't answer that; he was just giving a cold stare to his 'new master'(?)

"Now for your first task, I want you to speed up the growth of Millennium Seal in Veemon!" the Lord of Millennium commanded him. Yes, the origin of curse seal in Veemon was Millenniummon, so he had the ability to speed up the growth of that curse seal.

Millenniummon only nodded a little, and the he began to conjure some kind of dark magic. After that he finally said, "It should be done, soon he'll be in your control!"

"Good, you're dismissed!" Lord of Millennium commanded, and then he vanished.

"Milord, are you sure about this!?" Gryphonmon asked nervously, "I mean, out of us Millennium Generals, he's the one who possess strength nearly equal as you, Milord."

"No, there's no need to worry, at least we have the same intention: to have our revenge on those damned Sovereigns and then destroy this world!" Lord of Millennium replied coldly, "Now, dismissed!" he commanded, and then Gryphonmon flew away.

"He…he…he…, Veemon, no matter hard you fight back, you'll never get lose from my grip!" he laughed evilly.

**To be continued…

* * *

**

A/N: finally, finished! I hope this one is better than the previous one. Anyway, as I mentioned in the last chapter, Veemon will get a girlfriend too, and I think you can guess who.

Also, about Shakkoumon's Mega form, when I searched in Wikipedia, I read that he digivolved into Vikemon. Quite weird, I mean even Shakkoumon doesn't look exactly like an angel, but he has Patamon's portion too, so I chose ClavisAngemon as his Mega form, despite that he's the natural carrier of X-Antibody, while Shakkoumon isn't, because somehow he shares many similarities to Shakkoumon.

Anyway, please send me your reviews, so that I know that you like my story or not. Don't worry, I accept suggestions and critiques, so please review!!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: here comes chapter 12! Sorry for a very late update.

Like always, thanks for the reviewers. Thanks for the suggestions and comments. I hope I can take them to improve my story.

Well, as the request of Frozen Twins, I'll do Taiora starting in this chapter, but please forgive me if the romance isn't so good, and suggestions will always welcomed to improve!

Disclaimer: Digimon isn't owned by me, of course, but Namco-Bandai, Toei, and Akiyoshi Hongo do own Digimon.

Disclaimer's finished, let's move to the story, oh yeah, review please!

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Sun and Moon**

_Veemon…_

"_Where am I?" This tiny blue dragon asked as he regained consciousness._

_It was very dark everywhere that he couldn't see anything._

"_I can only remember that I encountered Darkdramon before I got knocked out by Darkdramon's Dark Roar. Did the Lord of Millennium finally get me?" he asked confusedly._

_Before he could move, a shadow appeared in front of him, forming Millenniummon. He smirked, and then he said, "It's about time, Veemon, you're mine!" and as if it answered him, the curse seal in Veemon's right hand glowed purple and began to spread to his other hand._

_Veemon screamed in pain as slowly he began to lose his consciousness again.

* * *

_

Veemon screamed, and woke up. The dream that he had before was so real.

"Huh, where am I, really?" he asked confusedly as he looked into his surrounding. He was awakened not in his usual place, definitely not in Daisuke's bedroom.

Veemon slapped himself, trying to reassure that he wasn't dreaming. It was hard to believe, because he wasn't with everyone.

'_Did they capture me when I fell unconscious before!?' _Veemon thought, just before he heard a sound of door being opened. Then, a bunny shaped Digimon with two big ears and two smaller ones entered the room.

"Ah, you're awake, aren't you? How do you feel?" she asked, smiling at him. Veemon, however, felt the intense dark energy came from her instead.

"Dark energy!" Veemon screamed in terror, "What do you want!?"

"No, you don't understand, I won't hurt you, I…" but before she finished her sentence, Veemon had charged her with his Vee Headbutt attack, but luckily she could dodge that.

"Speak up! What do you want with me!? Are you also Lord of Millennium's henchman?" Veemon shouted.

"Please, Veemon, listen to me!" she tried to explain, but Veemon just wouldn't listen to her. He simply charged another Vee Headbutt.

"This time, you won't escape!" Veemon shouted, "I won't lose to Lord of Millennium!!"

Before he could land his Vee Headbutt on her, suddenly he felt a force held him. Yes, in front of her, now stood another creature with a shape like a tiny lion. Flame spewed from his tail and forehead.

"How dare you…" He said coldly, "How dare you trying to hurt my sister! Take this, CoroKnuckle!!" he punched Veemon back with his fist, sending him flying a little.

"Brother! Coronamon!" his sister called him.

"Lunamon, are you okay?" Coronamon asked his sister, and his sister nodded.

"Why…, why did you defend her!? You're one of holy type, aren't you!?" Veemon yelled as he tried to stand up after being punched by Coronamon.

"She's my sister!" Coronamon simply said, "Now you'd better get ready, because I'll teach you a lesson!"

"What do you mean!?" Veemon asked angrily.

"Well, I'm gonna teach you a lesson for being so ungrateful to the one who has rescued and treated your injury!" Coronamon replied coldly.

Veemon blinked, and stated again, but now with more politely, "I don't get what you mean!"

"It means that the fact that Lunamon who had rescued you from that damned GigaSeadramon, you baka!!" Coronamon yelled angrily, "And what did you return to her now!? You tried to hurt her!! I regret that I had rescued you before, seeing that you treated your savior like that!!"

Veemon couldn't speak anymore. Actually he didn't know what to say. Finally he spoke, "Do…do you really the ones who rescued me!?"

"Oh, now he realized that!" Coronamon stated sarcastically, "Yes, we're the ones who rescued you, but this was all Lunamon's idea! Otherwise, GigaSeadramon would have delivered you to that damned Lord of Millennium! Now, you'd better ready, I'm gonna teach you a lesson!!" Coronamon added, preparing his CoroKnuckle again.

"Brother, that's enough! He's just scared, after all, please forgive him!" before Coronamon launched his attack, Lunamon grabbed her brother's hand.

"Sis, how can you say that!?" Coronamon spat, "After he treated you like that, you want me to forgive him!? Now, let go of me!!"

"Yes, of course!" Lunamon replied, "Like I said before, perhaps he's a bit shocked, please brother, forgive him, ok?" Lunamon begged her brother with a very sweet voice, and also with puppy eyes.

"Umm, I…, gaah, fine, I lost! I'll forgive him now! You can do anything you'd pleased, sis!" Coronamon spat angrily.

"Yay, that's my brother!" Lunamon cheered, and then Coronamon said something like 'che' before he left the room without saying anything else.

Silence for awhile, and then Lunamon began to speak, "Please forgive my brother, Veemon, usually he's nice, but I guess he's in a bad mood today!" Lunamon smiled at him.

"No, he's right in one point." Veemon shook his head, "I guess I was carried away. I'm the one who should apology. By the way, you are-"

"Lunamon! But you're right in the beginning, I hold the power of darkness at all, while my brother holds the power of holy!" Lunamon answered.

"Your brother?" Veemon asked, and Lunamon nodded, "That little lion?"

"Yup, his name is Coronamon!" Lunamon replied.

"Let's see, Lunamon and Coronamon, I once heard of your existences. I thought you two were only legend." Veemon stated.

"Nope, we're real for sure, only we're rarely seen. To tell the truth, there aren't many of us existed." Lunamon replied, "It's the same like yourself. First, when Azulongmon told us about you, my brother and I didn't believe it, because you only existed in our myth, together with Fanglongmon."

"But, I'm here as well!" Veemon protested, "How come did you think me only as a legend?"

"Yeah, I know, that's because we're rarely seen." Lunamon replied.

"But, why did you save me?" Veemon asked, "I mean, you don't have to risk your life just to save me."

"Nonsense, we have to help each other in this life, right?" Lunamon stated, "Now imagine that you were on my position, and one of your friends is kidnapped by GigaSeadramon, what you would do?"

"I'll save them, no matter what it costs!" Veemon replied.

"Oh, now you can see my point, right?" Lunamon smiled, "For now, please rest until you recovered!"

"I can't." Veemon shook his head, "I have to help my friends out there. Besides, if the Lord of Millennium knew that you two saved me, you could be in a very big trouble!"

"But, you're still hurt!" Lunamon replied, "Concerning about your friends is okay, but at least, please concern about yourself, too!"

"But you could be in danger if they knew that I'm here!" Veemon tried to protest.

"Oh, if about us, don't worry, this place is very secluded; it won't appear in maps!" Lunamon replied, "In addition, the sandstorm in this area helps to cover this place from intruders! So, please, take your time! After you've recovered, we'll accompany you back to your friends! Don't worry, even we have no partners, we can defend ourselves!" Lunamon added, and then she left the room.

Silence for awhile. Veemon couldn't believe that such dark Digimon like Lunamon is so kind like that. The dark Digimon he usually encountered always wanted to kill the DigiDestined, or even kill him, but Lunamon was different.

Now he felt very ashamed, given that Lunamon had treated him so well, and he wanted to hurt her before, and then she even forgave him.

'_Maybe I shouldn't judge the book by its cover. She's as nice as Gatomon.' _Veemon thought, flushed, but he quickly snapped that out, hearing the door opened once again, but now it was Coronamon who came in. He glared at Veemon, and slowly he walked into Veemon.

"Listen, kid, I really don't care if you're one of the 6 legendary heroes of our myth or not, but I warn you, kid, if you dare to hurt Lunamon again, your partner will have to find another partner!" Coronamon threatened Veemon with a very cold voice.

'_Gee, talk about temper!' _Veemon sighed, _'I can't believe that he's Lunamon's brother!'_

"Oh, what's with that look? Do you want to seek a problem with me?" Coronamon glared, sensing that Veemon thought something about him.

"N-no, of course not, Coronamon-dono!" Veemon quickly answered.

"Good, then you'd better rest up, kid! You need that!" Coronamon replied with a satisfied smirk in his face because Veemon called him Coronamon-dono ('Master Coronamon' in English), and then he left the room, leaving Veemon sighed in relieve.

'_Whew, good thinking, Vee, you haven't lost your touch! Coronamon-dono, huh? Well, at least he liked that. He seems to be very strong for a rookie stage. Oh, am I glad that I'm not his enemy, I think.' _Veemon sweatdropped, and then he laid himself in the bed.

* * *

_Western Region, Near Gaia Rock…_

"It's already dusk! We'd better rest ourselves before we enter the Gaia Rock!" Taichi said as they approached the Gaia Rock.

"Yeah, perhaps we'd better, I bet it's awfully dark there." Koushiro replied, "In addition, our partners are still tired from before."

"Yeah, we don't know what'd been waiting for us in there, so we need to prepare our best!" Ken added.

* * *

"Sora, can I talk to you?" Taichi asked Sora after all of them had their dinner. Most of the younger DigiDestined and their partners had fallen asleep.

"Huh, oh, it's you, Taichi!" Sora startled a little, "Oh, sure, no problem!"

"I see you're a bit quiet lately," Taichi commented, "Is that something bothering you?"

"No, nothing, but thanks for worrying about me." Sora stated, but actually she lied, because she was worrying about Biyomon.

"You know, this adventure is kind of reminding me about our adventure several years ago." Taichi stated.

"Yeah, you're right." Sora agreed, "Well, if only Biyomon was here, I could be more helpful."

"Um, sorry about that, but I'm sure that Gennai and Azulongmon can find her, along with Gabumon." Taichi stated, knowing that she was worrying about Biyomon.

"Thank you." Sora smiled at him, which made him blushed a little, but he quickly snapped that out.

"Huh?" Taichi asked confusedly, "But I didn't do anything!"

"Well, you know, you're always there when I need your support." Sora replied, smiling, "Yeah, you always encourage me when I'm down, I guess you haven't changed at all."

"D-do you think so?" Taichi asked.

"Yes, and I feel safe every time you near me, that's for sure!" Sora added, "Huh, what's wrong with you? Why did you face turned red?" she asked.

"W-well, no, nothing! Really!" Taichi replied, still blushing madly.

"Well, in that case, thanks for comforting me, I feel better now." Sora replied, "Now, let's catch some sleep, shall we? See you tomorrow!" and then she left him to join the girls, leaving Taichi, still blushing.

Taichi couldn't speak for awhile; Sora's words sure sent him flying. Well, to tell the truth, he loved Sora; but he didn't know if Sora loved him or not, she seemed to like Yamato instead, like when she cheered for him in his last concert.

"Hey, Taichi, you haven't sleep?" Taichi snapped out, and turned back to see Agumon called him, "And why is your face red?" he asked innocently.

Taichi quickly snapped it out, and replied, "Oh, nothing, not a thing, really!"

"Oh, sorry about that, then." Agumon replied, "Well, shall we sleep now?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess so, let's go, Agumon!" Taichi replied, yawning, and walked to join the others, but still, he couldn't help but think about Sora.

* * *

Meanwhile, Patamon couldn't sleep that night. He still couldn't believe that his friend, his dearest friend, Veemon, had been captured by their biggest enemy.

'_Why, this isn't fair. Why did they capture him!? What did he do so he has to deserve this!? He's one of my closest friends. Why!?' _he thought so hard.

"Can't sleep, Patamon?" Patamon startled, and turned back. Takeru called him from the back.

"Umm, yeah, sort of, so much has happened today, our battle with Darkdramon, our Mega Digivolution to ClavisAngemon, but he's gone…" Patamon stated sadly.

"You mean Veemon?" Takeru asked, and Patamon nodded, "Yeah, it must be very hard for us; he's like one of our family."

"Yes, he's my best friend. Although we often argue, he's always trying to make us happy. Even he's so happy that I'm getting along with Gatomon, even when she kissed me." Patamon stated.

Takeru jawdropped hearing Patamon said that. Patamon finally realized that he talked too much and said nervously, "No, please don't get me wrong, I…I don't…, I mean…, uh, how I can say that!?" but surprisingly, Takeru only smiled seeing his partner act so silly like that, making Patamon more confused.

"Huh, what's wrong with you?" Patamon asked, "Are you teasing me because of that?"

"No, of course not, on the contrary, I'm happy with you. I have watched you two altogether, just like me and Hikari, and I think it's alright." Takeru smiled at him.

"You mean that you're not mad with me because of that?" Patamon asked.

"No, who says that Digimon can't fall in love too? And I think you two will make a good couple, I believe that!" Takeru replied.

"R-really?" Patamon asked, now his face turned red, "B-but, Veemon loves Gatomon too, I'm positive about that. I-I don't know if I should continue this."

"Well, you've said that earlier, that Veemon was really happy when you and Gatomon were getting along so well, so this is only a guess, but I'm pretty sure that Veemon will be very happy if he sees his friends happy, after all, he's Digimon of Friendship. So, if you truly want to make them happy, I think you should continue, don't worry, you'll get my support!" Takeru stated.

"Thank you, Takeru, that's really warm my heart!" Patamon replied, "But still, I'm worried about Veemon!"

"Ha…ha…ha, you still haven't changed, at all!" Takeru chuckled, which made Patamon a little confused, "Always thinking your friends over yourself!"

"Huh, is that wrong?" Patamon asked.

"Of course not! Thinking your friends above yourself, is the sign that you are really care about them! You're really kind, Patamon, and I'm sure that kindness will always make your friends happy. I hope you'll never change!" Takeru smiled, "Don't worry about Veemon! I'm sure he'll be back with us soon, after all, he's strong, right?"

"Yes, you're right." Patamon stated, "Now shall we rest?"

"Yes, we need that!" Takeru replied, and then they went to sleep.

* * *

"Now, Veemon, how do you feel?" Lunamon asked after Veemon ate the dinner she brought for him.

"Well, I feel much better now! Boy, your cooking is almost as good as Daisuke's mom!" Veemon replied.

"Huh, is that so?" Lunamon stated, her cheek turned a little red, and just as soon as she said that, Coronamon entered the room.

"Oh, hi, brother!" Lunamon greeted his brother. Coronamon smiled a little to his sister and then he turned to Veemon with a more serious face.

"I want to ask you several questions, kid!" Coronamon began to talk, "As a chosen Digimon, you must know several things that we don't know!"

"Oh, in that case, go on!" Veemon stated, "And I also have some questions I'd like to know, I wonder if you two know it."

"Fine then, first, I want to know how many of Millennium Generals you have defeated so far!" Coronamon stated.

"Huh, oh, yeah, so far we have defeated Kimeramon and Chaosdramon, and my friends were battling Darkdramon while GigaSeadramon captured me." Veemon answered, counting with his fingers.

"So, that makes four of them, I wonder where the rest of them!' Coronamon muttered to himself.

"What? There's more of them?" Veemon asked.

"Why, of course they are, kid!" Coronamon stated, "Did Azulongmon tell you about that!?" He asked back, and Veemon shook his head.

"Oh hell, what are the Sovereigns thinking anyway!?" Coronamon shook his head, "Sending them with inappropriate knowledge is the same as suicide!"

"What do you mean by that?" Veemon asked.

"You don't remember, Veemon?" Lunamon asked, "Don't you remember that in the past, the Lord of Millennium had an army led by 6 Millennium Generals? So, I'm sure that he has revived them, too!"

"Umm, my memories about the past are a bit hazy." Veemon scratched his head, "What I'm truly remember that we all defeated the Lord of Millennium."

"That's all!?" Coronamon asked impatiently.

"Yeah, that's all I remember from my past." Veemon replied innocently, which made both Lunamon and Coronamon did anime falls.

'_Boy, this kid is really happy-go-lucky.' _Coronamon sweatdropped.

"But, wait, why do you know that much!?" suddenly Veemon asked, "I mean, even we didn't know that far!"

Coronamon and Lunamon were silent. They couldn't possibly tell Veemon that they are the spies, although they were sure that Veemon is on their side, so they thought very hard to answer his question.

"Umm, actually, our ancestors were the members of resistance against Lord of Millennium in the past." Lunamon stated, "This story was passed from generation to generation, so even we're the youngest members of our clan, we know that!"

"Then, you must know about Sol Sanctum, right!?" Veemon asked excitedly.

"Of course! That place is the Sanctum of Sun and Moon! That place is used to be the base of the Resistance, according to the legend!" Coronamon replied.

"So, I want to know a bit a bout that place, because I believe we need to explore it…" Veemon stated.

"…to find the Light? Am I right?" Coronamon continued, which made Veemon startled a little.

"Huh, why did you know that?" Veemon asked confusedly, "Who are you anyway?"

"That's not important, of course!" Coronamon stated impatiently, "You need that to break the Seal of Millennium in your body, right? That black thingie in your right and left hand!"

"What do you mean by-" before Veemon finished his statement, he realized that the runic pattern had started to appear in his left hand just like in his right hand.

"No, it can't be, tell me that it was a joke!" Veemon tried to deny that.

"No, it is right, Veemon!" Lunamon stated, "And it's bad, of course, it only means one thing…" she added.

"Yes, he has back!" Coronamon muttered.

"What do you mean by that!?" Veemon asked confusedly.

"He has back, the strongest of all Millennium General, Millenniumon!" Lunamon repeated.

Suddenly Veemon remembered his last dream. Yes, in his dream, he was no longer seeing the cloaked figure of Lord of Millennium; instead, he saw the eerie figure of Millenniumon. He knew that, of course, from his past experience with Ryo Akiyama, his partner before Daisuke.

"Yeah, I saw him in my dream, too, so it seemed that he had conjured something to speed up the growth of this curse seal!" Veemon stated, trying to make his voice as calm as he could, although now he was very scared.

"Well, this is bad, really bad!" Coronamon shook his head, and then he quickly left the room.

"What's wrong with him!?" Veemon asked, "Why did he leave in rush?"

"Oh, that's not the matter, Veemon!" Lunamon stated, "He's always like that when he heard something bad! I think he went somewhere to calm himself, just don't worry!" Lunamon smiled at him.

"By the way, it's getting late! You should get some sleep! If you have felt better, we'll escort you back to your friends! Sleep tight, Vee-kun!" Lunamon added, and then she left the room.

Veemon's face turned red after she said that. He didn't know what was getting on him, but this feeling couldn't be explained.

'_Wow, she called me 'Vee-kun'; it's so sweet of her. Even Gatomon rarely called me with that.' _Veemon thought, and then he fell asleep.

* * *

_Western Quadrant, Tiger's Gate…_

"Huh, are you positive with that!?" Baihumon asked.

"Yes, Sir, it looks like that the Millenniumon has been revived!" the tiny lion called Coronamon stated.

"Hmmph, I see, continue to watch over Veemon, and as soon as he recovers, take him back to Eastern Quadrant, and let Azulongmon take care the rest." Baihumon commanded Coronamon.

"That's all!?" Coronamon demanded.

"Yeah, that's all!" Baihumon stated, "I have no other business with the DigiDestined, let Azulongmon handle them!"

"But, Sir, this is about our world, not only the Eastern Quadrant!" Coronamon protested, "If we don't do something, our world will be…"

"That's not your business, kid! You are only a spy, get it!? Now, you're dismissed!" Baihumon commanded Coronamon, and then he vanished.

"Grr, why are even my Master so lame like this!?" Coronamon muttered, "Talk about arrogance!" he spat and then he left.

**To be continued…

* * *

**

A/N: finally, finished! I really hope that this chapter would satisfy all of you. Lately, I'm not in a mood of writing, so luckily I can finish this chapter.

As always, please review!! Please let me know if you like my story or not, and any suggestions and criticisms are welcomed, and I'll try to improve my story!


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: here comes chapter 13, sorry for the very late update!

Thank you for all of the reviewers. Thanks for all constructive criticisms and suggestions. I hope this chapter will be better.

As you can see in the last chapter, instead of Takari and PataGato, I'll add another pairings: First, as Frozen Twins' request, Taiora, and second, Veemon x Lunamon, or VeeLuna for short.

WARNING: May contain OOC-ness, and some coarse language.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Toei and Namco-Bandai do own them.

Disclaimer's finished, let's move to the story. Oh, yeah, review please.

* * *

**Chapter 13-****The Great Serpent**

_DigiDestined, near Gaia Rock…_

Gaia Rock, the elemental rock of Earth, was located in the heart of West Hemisphere. In this place, it was believed that the heart of Earth Elemental, Gnome, lived. Now at the quest to gather all of heart elementals, the Digidestined was ready to climb the Gaia Rock.

"So, this is the Gaia Rock." Taichi commented, "It looks like an ordinary rock for me."

"Yeah, it looks like that, but I sense a strong earth power from inside!" Armadillomon stated, "My normal element is earth, so I can sense it!" He added.

"Then, this rock is the opposite of Zephyr Tower, right?" Iori guessed.

"Yes, it seems like that." Koushiro stated.

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's go inside!" Patamon stated, "Let's gather Gnome and Undine as fast as possible!"

"Yeah, so we can rescue Veemon as soon as possible!" Wormmon added.

"And don't forget about Gabumon and Biyomon! We need to rescue them too!" Yamato stated.

"Yeah, just wait a little longer; we'll rescue you, Biyomon!" Sora whispered.

* * *

And so, they entered the Gaia Rock. Unlike the last one, they didn't need to open the entrance by showing the crests that were associated with the elements, but in the entrance, there were engraved two crests, Crest of Knowledge and Crest of Sincerity.

"So, Crest of Knowledge and Sincerity have a link with the earth element, huh?" Taichi commented, "I've never thought about that."

"Oh, yes, of course! Haven't you ever notice that the digivolution that use the Crest of Knowledge and the Crest of Sincerity draws the power from earth?" Koushiro asked.

"I still don't get it." Taichi scratched his head.

"Oh, I get it!" Suddenly Joe stated, "Let's take a look for Tentomon and Palmon's digivolution lines, and also, Armadillomon and Hawkmon's armor form by using those digimentals. All have close relation with the earth element, right?" he added.

"Come to think it, you're right!" Iori stated, "Especially Digmon!"

"How about Shurimon and Palmon's digivolution lines?" Hikari asked.

"Oh, plant and earth have a close relationship, right?" Koushiro explained, "In fact, they have symbiotic relationship, so it's not odd that the Crest of Sincerity has a connection to earth element."

"I think I get it." Takeru stated, "Now, shall we go inside?" he asked.

"Yeah, we have wasted a lot of time to talk about element, let's go!" Willis added.

"Ok then, let's go inside!" Taichi stated.

* * *

_Gaia Rock Inner Sanctum…_

As they walked in, they found something interesting inside. At the end of the room, there's a big door. Other than that, there were some logs near the switch, and just like in the Zephyr Tower, there were some wind stones near the logs.

"So, this is the inner sanctum of Gaia Rock, huh?" Yamato commented.

"The door is locked, typical." Koushiro shook his head, "Guess that we need to do something!"

"Like what?" Tentomon asked.

"I think the switches there are the key to unlock the door. Perhaps we should try to push the logs to the switches."

"Yeah, let's give it a try!" Agumon stated.

So, they tried to push a log to the switch near it, but the log was very heavy, and soon they got tired.

"Damn, the log is very heavy!" Taichi groaned, "Perhaps we need to digivolve our partners to help us push the log!" he added.

"Wait a minute! That stone, it seems very familiar!" Iori stated.

"Of course it is!" Patamon replied, "That's a wind stone, we've encountered some in Zephyr Tower, remember?"

"That's it!" Takeru shouted.

"What?" Patamon asked.

"The stone amplifies wind power, right?" he stated, and Patamon nodded, "Perhaps we can try pushing the log using the amplified Boom Bubble." He added.

"Good idea, Takeru!" Hikari stated, which made Takeru blushed a little, "If the stone can do the same trick as in the Zephyr Tower, it'll make our work easier!"

"Yeah, I think so!" Gatomon agreed, "Come on, give it a try, Pata-kun!" she encouraged him, and this had the same effect as Hikari's words before; she made him blushed, because this was the first time she'd ever called him 'Pata-kun'.

"A-alright! I'll give it a try!" Patamon stated, still blushed a little, and then he collected a wind to create a Boom Bubble. Just like in the Zephyr Tower, when the Boom Bubble hit the wind stone, it became bigger and strong enough to push the log into the switch.

"Good work, Pata-kun!" Gatomon cheered.

"Ah, it was nothing!" Patamon blushed, "The wind stone did the trick!" he added.

"Oh, don't be shy, Patamon! You really did it!" Takeru stated proudly.

And so, Patamon did the rest of the jobs. He didn't show it, but actually he was very tired after he did the job, because this was the Gaia Rock, the earth elemental mountain, while he had wind element, so the effect that Armadillomon felt in Zephyr Tower was applied to him right. But still he didn't want everyone worried about him, especially Takeru and Gatomon, so he didn't show his tiredness.

"Ah, finally the door has been unlocked!" Koushiro stated as Patamon pushed the last log into the switch.

With the final 'click', the door was opened, but it seemed rhat the door was another form of teleport device, because all they could see inside the door was light.

"So, is this safe, Koushiro-senpai?" Miyako asked.

"Well, to tell the truth, I don't know, but I don't see any other choices, so…" Koushiro answered.

"Yeah, if we want to advance, we have to go through this door." Iori added.

"Yes, we don't have any other choices, so let's go!" Taichi shouted.

So, everyone entered the door and with the flash of light, they disappeared.

* * *

_Gaia Rock Inner Sanctum, the Maze of Knowledge…_

"Where are we?" Agumon asked as they landed into a small room after they entered the previous door. This room was very odd, it has four ways to exit the room, and the room itself was covered with a thin mist. In the middle of the room, there was a single plant.

"I don't know." Koushiro replied, "I'll scan this area to figure that out!"

"It looks like that this room has four paths to exit." Takeru commented.

"So, which way is the right one?" Patamon questioned.

"Don't know." Takeru shrugged, "We'll have to wait for Koushiro to finish with the scan."

"How's the result, Koushiro?" Yamato asked.

"Somehow, I can't scan this area." Koushiro answered. He was a bit pale; considering this was the first time his laptop had ever failed him.

"WHAT!?" Spontaneously the others shouted.

"So, what should we do now!?" Gatomon asked panicky.

"Perhap we should try our luck here by choosing a random way." Gomamon joked, but quickly he stopped seeing everyone glared at him.

"This is not the time for joking, baka!" Gatomon shouted at him.

"Now, now, Gatomon, shouting at him like that won't solve the problem. We need to be calm to solve this problem." Hikari tried to calm Gatomon.

"Yes, Hikari is right. We need to think something to get out from this room!" Joe added.

"Huh, what's wrong, Wormmon?" Ken asked his partner seeing that since they arrived there, he kept staring at the plant in the middle of the room.

"This plant… is not an ordinary plant." Wormmon pointed at the plant.

"Is that so?" Ken questioned him.

"Yeah, there must be a reason why it is planted in this room, or at least I think so." Wormmon replied.

'_Use earth power…'_

"What?" Wormmon asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ken asked back.

"I though you told me to use earth power." Wormmon replied.

"No, I didn't say that." Ken shrugged, and then he continued to discuss with everyone to determine which ways was the correct one.

'_Use earth power and the path shall be revealed…'_ Again, the voice rang in Wormmon's head, but it seemed that he was the only one who could hear that.

'_The path shall be revealed?' _Wormmon thought,_ 'What's the meaning of that?'_

"What's the matter, Wormmon?" Suddenly Armadillomon came to him.

"Can you hear that?" Wormmon asked him.

"What?" Armadillomon asked back; he looked confused.

"I thought that voice can only be heard by the wielder of earth power." Wormmon stated.

"What are you talking about?" Armadillomon asked again; he became more and more confused.

"Oh then, never mind." Wormmon sighed; he gave up because it appeared that he really was the only one who could hear the voice.

'_Why am I the only one who can hear that voice?' _Wormmon thought, _'I don't really know the meaning of that, but I guess I should give it a try.'_

So Wormmon walked to the tiny plant. It seemed that everyone didn't even pay attention to the tiny plant; everyone was too busy to discuss how to get out from this room.

Wormmon then touched the tiny plant and began to concentrate. At first, there was nothing happened, but he felt that his energy streamed to the plant.

Suddenly, the plant grew, and it didn't just grow like normal plants, because it grew and became an arrow. Not only that, the arrow started ticking like a clock, loud enough to draw everyone's attention.

"Look everyone!" Taichi shouted, making everyone stopped their ruckus, "The plant grows!"

"Huh? Are you sure?" Sora asked.

"He's right!" Willis commented, "How did it grow?"

Now everyone's eyes were directed to Wormmon, who stood besides the plant. This, of course, made him a bit tense.

"Wormmon!" Ken called him, "Are you the one who made the plant grew?"

"Yes!" Wormmon replied, "But that's because a voice told me to do that." He explained.

"Voice?" Joe questioned, "But we didn't hear anything…"

"Except for our ruckus caucus to decide which path we should take." Yamato added.

"Yeah, I know that." Wormmon replied, "It seems that I'm the one who can hear that. It told me to use earth power, and the path should be revealed." He explained.

"The path?" Joe whispered, "Hmm, it looks like that the plant is showing us the right path." He commented, which made everyone looked at him.

"Come to think it, perhaps you're right, Joe-senpai!" Iori stated, "Maybe the voice that Wormmon heard is the hint to solve this problem!"

"I don't know whether it is right or wrong, but we don't have any other choices, right? So, let's follow this!" Tachi exclaimed.

* * *

_Meanwhile, somewhere else in the West Hemisphere…_

"Gee, it's pretty nice of you two to escort me back to my friends!" Veemon stated as he, Coronamon, and Lunamon crossed the desert.

"Don't get me wrong, kid, I don't have any intention to escort you, but because Lunamon insisted, I don't have any other choices!" Coronamon scowled.

"Don't listen to him, Veemon. I think he's in his worst mood today!" Lunamon stated, which made Veemon feeling better.

"Oh, is that so?" Veemon asked, and Lunamon nodded, "Thank you!"

As they walked, they attracted attention from a bunch of Airdramon that lived there. Usually, Airdramon were not attracted to that kind of commotion, but this time, it was different.

"Hey, did you see that?" One of Airdramon whispered to the others.

"Yeah, of course, that's Veemon, the wanted Digimon!" the other Airdramon followed.

"And look at the reward! One million bits!" the other one snickered, "That GigaSeadramon is sure generous!"

"So, what are we waiting for!? Let's get him!" the other one shouted.

"Huh, what's that?" Lunamon asked as the Airdramon flew near them.

"Don't know." Coronamon replied, "Weird, usually they don't act like that!"

"Get that Veemon!" Suddenly one Airdramon that looked like the leader of that group cried.

"WHAT!?" Coronamon shouted in disbelief.

"I thought GigaSeadramon has only MegaSeadramon as henchmen!" Lunamon stated in shock.

"Well, we're not!" One Airdramon snickered, "But we'll sure get a reward if we turn Veemon to him!"

"One million bits! That is awfully a lot of money!" Another one added.

"And once more, if we turn Veemon to him, the Millennium Generals will stop terrorizing this area!" Another one said.

"Uh, oh, looks like we have to battle!" Coronamon growled.

"Let's make it quickly! Veemon, leave this to us!" Lunamon shouted, but Veemon didn't even move.

"No way!" Veemon shook his head, "I'll fight too! They are after me, so I can't let you two in danger after all you've done to protect me!"

"Fool! You'll get captured if you do this!" Coronamon spat angrily, "You're even without your partner, so you can't digivolve!"

"I can still fight, even without digivolve!" Veemon shouted back, "I can't let you two fighting while I run away!"

"Listen, kid, this isn't the time to play hero!" Coronamon started to lose his temper seeing Veemon was so stubborn.

"Be quiet, you two!" Lunamon shouted, "If Veemon wants to fight, let him be! Here they come!!" she shouted.

"Vee Headbutt!!" Veemon shouted, launching himself like a cannon to one of the Airdramon, but Airdramon evaded this attack with ease.

"Damn, it's not good! There are a lot of Airdramon!" Coronamon spat as he burnt one Airdramon with his Corona Flame.

"Brother, shall we use our ancient techniques against them?" Lunamon asked.

"Perhaps we should, because they'll hit all enemies at once. Let's do it!" Coronamon shouted, "Raise, Prominence!!"

Suddenly, in the sky, an orange magic circle formed, and then it shot a lot of flame from it, burning all the Airdramon in the same time.

"My turn!" Lunamon cried, "Freezeblink!"

The same as before, a blue magic circle formed in the sky, shooting a lot of icicle spears from it, striking all Airdramon.

"Wow, cool!" Veemon cheered, but the same time one of the Airdramon tried to hit him with Spinning Needles. Luckily, he could avoid it.

"Take this! Volley Kick!" Veemon shouted, leaping high, and kicking Airdramon who attacked him, making that Airdramon fell.

"It looks like they haven't had enough!" Coronamon shouted as he dodged Fatal Tornado from another Airdramon, "Star Cross!!"

This time, several light streams appeared, and then formed a star shaped magic circle, shooting a lot of holy light to all Airdramon, making some of them fell and ran away.

"Leave the rest to me, Bro!" Lunamon followed, "Shadow Flares!!"

After Lunamon shouted, a purple magic circle appeared in the sky and shot a lot of purple flame balls and they hit the rest of Airdramon, making them ran away from there.

"Wow, those were strong techniques for rookie level!" Veemon commented.

"Actually, these kinds of techniques weren't originated from us." Lunamon explained; she was a bit exhausted, "Those are technique inherited from our predecessors."

"Yeah, these kinds of techniques may be very strong, but they make us tired more quickly than digivolution into Ultimate level." Coronamon panted, he looked tired.

"Huh, what's this?" Lunamon asked as she picked a paper that Airdramon dropped. In that paper, it was written: "Wanted: Veemon; Reward: 1,000,000 bits; the target must be captured alive, GigaSeadramon."

Veemon was a little shock after he read the paper. He couldn't believe that GigaSeadramon would something dirty like this to capture him.

"Hey, kid!" Coronamon snapped him out, "Now that the situation has changed, we'll escort you to Baihumon right now!"

"What!?" Veemon protested, "But you said…"

"Please understand, Vee-kun…" Lunamon tried to calm him, "If we escort you to your friends, we can't guarantee your safety anymore. Perhaps there are more bounty hunters that have been waiting for you. So, please understand…"

After awhile, finally Veemon nodded in agreement, and Coronamon drew a teleport stone, and with a flash of light, they disappeared.

* * *

_Gaia Inner Sanctum, Maze of Knowledge…_

With Wormmon's help, one by one room in Maze of Knowledge was successfully passed. Funnily, there were no arrows that pointed to the north as far as they walked. Some of them didn't notice that, though. Finally…

"Here we are…" Wormmon stated, growing the plant again. This time, the plant grew into an arrow that pointed to the north.

"OK, so let's go!" Taichi shouted enthusiastically.

"Not so fast!" Koushiro stopped him.

"Why?" Hikari asked.

"Didn't you all notice something strange?" Koushiro asked back.

"Nope." Tentomon shrugged, "Is it something really strange?"

"Haah, then let me explain." Koushiro sighed, "Perhaps you didn't notice this: the arrow in the previous rooms never points to the north! Does this fact ring something in your head?" he asked.

"Of course! Perhaps that's the sign that we'll get out from this maze!" Takeru guessed.

"You get it right." Koushiro added, "Although I don't pretty sure, but seeing the anomaly, I guess that we'll pretty soon exit this maze."

"What's wrong, Armadillomon?" Iori asked seeing Armadillomon looked at the north seriously.

"Yeah, I can sense it!" Armadillomon replied seriously, "The strong earth presence is coming from this direction!" he pointed to the north.

"Seriously?" Ken asked, "Does that mean that we'll soon meet Gnome?"

"I don't think so." Wormmon shook his head, "The presence is more like a…monster."

"Monster? You mean a Digimon?" Willis asked.

"I'm not too sure. It is different from the usual Digimon presence…" Wormmon answered.

"Well, we've got no other choices, so let's go!" Taichi shouted.

* * *

_Gaia Inner Sanctum, Gaia Rock's Heart…_

So finally the Digidestined arrived in the heart of Gaia Rock, which supposed to be the den of Gnome, but Wormmon and Armadillomon were right. Right in front of them, as if it had been waiting for them, stood a giant snakelike creature with seven heads and a big swordlike tail.

"What is that!?" Hawkmon asked, his foot was shaking a little.

"It can't be…" Joe whispered.

"Yamata-no-Orochi? Here?" Ken added.

"Is this not a Digimon?" Sora asked.

"No, although there is a Digimon called Orochimon, this is definitely not an Orochimon!" Agumon stated watchfully.

"Yeah, its presence is different from a normal Digimon!" Gomamon added.

"Watch out! It's coming!!" Yamato shouted.

"Alright, everyone, let's go!" Taichi shouted a battle cry.

* * *

DIGIVOLUTION…

Agumon digivolved into…Greymon! Greymon digivolved into…MetalGreymon!

Tentomon digivolved into…Kabuterimon! Kabuterimon digivolved into…MegaKabuterimon!

Gomamon digivolved into…Ikkakumon! Ikkakumon digivolved into…Zudomon!

Terriermon digivolved into…Gargomon! Gargomon digivolved into…Rapidmon!

Lopmon digivolved into…Wendigomon! Wendigomon digivolved into…Antylamon!

Patamon digivolved into…Angemon!

Hawkmon digivolved into…Aquilamon!

Armadillomon digivolved into…Ankylomon!

Wormmon digivolved into…Stingmon!

* * *

"C'mon, Takeru, let's teach him a lesson!" Iori shouted.

"You got it, pal!" Takeru answered.

"Hikari, let's do it!" Miyako added.

"Roger that!" Hikari replied.

* * *

DNA DIGIVOLUTION…

Angemon…Ankylomon…DNA digivolved into…Shakkoumon!

Gatomon…Aquilamon…DNA digivolved into…Silphymon!

* * *

"Let's teach this monster a lesson!" MetalGreymon shouted, "Giga Destroyer!!" He launched his homing missiles to that serpent. The missiles hit the body of monster, but it seemed that the monster can survive from that.

"Bunny Blades!!" Antylamon followed, but this time, the seven headed serpent could avoid it.

"Watch out! It is going to attack!" Silphymon shouted as the serpent inhale a deep breath.

"Everybody, fan out!!" Zudomon cried, and as the serpent unleashed its poison breath, everybody was managed to avoid it.

"Rapid Missiles!!" In a quick succession, Rapidmon fired a lot of his missiles, and he managed to destroy 2 of the serpent's heads.

"Two down, five to go!" Shakkoumon stated, "Justice Beam!" He fired an orange beam from his eyes, making the monster roared in pain.

"Vulcan's Hammer!" Zudomon followed.

"Horn Buster!" MegaKabuterimon rammed one of the serpent's head.

"Static Force!" Silphymon added.

"Moon Shooter!" Stingmon fired a white energy sphere.

"Trident Arm!" MetalGreymon fired his trident-like arm.

All this combination attack was managed to destroy four of serpent's last five head. Only the center head, which has different color, was survived.

"That's it!" Taichi shouted, "I can't believe that this monster is pushover!"

"Yeah, it's not as strong as I expected!" Yamato stated, "Come on guys, finish it!"

But it seemed that both Taichi and Yamato were wrong. Having lost the other six heads, the serpent now can move quickly. It quickly changed its tail into a legendary blade, Ame-no-Murakumo, and with ease he knocked Rapidmon and Antylamon, making them degenerated into Terriermon and Lopmon.

"Terriermon! Lopmon!" Willis quickly took his injured partners.

"Silphymon! Behind you!" Shakkoumon cried, making Silphymon awared that the serpent was ready to slashed her from behind. Luckily, because of Shakkoumon's warning, she could avoid it.

"Thanks, Shakkoumon!" Silphymon shouted, and she began to fire another Static Force on the serpent. The Static Force made it stuck and couldn't move, giving all the Digimon chances once again to combined their attacks, making a huge explosion.

"Was it success?" Takeru asked after the smoke cleared a little.

"Don't know." Ken replied, "I can't see it because of the smoke!"

After the smoke cleared, the serpent was still stood.

"H-how can it survive!?" MetalGreymon asked, shocked that even a combination attacks didn't work out as they expected.

"Impossible!" Zudomon shouted.

Taking advantage of this moment, the serpent quickly fired a dark sphere from his mouth. The sphere hit MegaKabuterimon.

"D-damn, I'm stuck!" MegaKabuterimon grumbled, "What kind of attack is this!?" but before he could even blink, the serpent had readied its sword to stab him.

"MegaKabuterimon, No!" Koshiro cried, seeing the sword was getting closer to MegaKabuterimon's chest.

As he cried, his Digivice began to shine brightly, and the Crest of Knowledge was glowing.

* * *

MEGA DIGIVOLUTION…

MegaKabuterimon digivolved into…HerculesKabuterimon!

* * *

Now, at the place MegaKabuterimon was stood, there was a giant bug which shapes like a Hercules Beetle. He quickly grabbed the serpent's sword and threw it, making it staggered for the first time.

"Wow, cool!" Willis shouted, "Is he Tentomon's Mega form?" he asked.

Still a bit shaky, Koushiro scanned HerculesKabuterimon, and then he read his partner's data.

"HerculesKabuterimon, Mega form for Tentomon species." He stated, "With his big horn, it is no doubt that he is one of the strongest and quickest bug Digimon."

"Let's finish this!" HerculesKabuterimon shouted, "Mega Electro Shocker!!" He created a giant electro ball and fired it into the serpent. This time, the serpent didn't have any chance to avoid it, and the electro ball hit it dead, causing a big explosion.

As the smoke from the explosion cleared, the serpent was laid unconscious.

"Yeah, you did it, H-Kabuterimon!" Koushiro exclaimed.

"No, WE did it, Koushiro!" HerculesKabuterimon corrected him, "When I was in danger, you gave me your power!"

"Thank you!" Koushiro smirked, "I thought I couldn't do anything to save you, H-Kabuterimon!" he added.

"No, you have done your best, Koushiro!" HerculesKabuterimon stated, and then he and the others degenerated into their Rookie states.

* * *

"Now, what should we do?" Ken asked.

"Don't know, doesn't seem that Gnome is here, either." Joe replied.

'_Oh, but I'm here.' _A voice echoed in the room.

"What did you say?" Taichi shouted.

'_I'm Gnome, the elemental spirit of earth. I'm right in front of you…' _that voice echoed once more.

"Huh? But in front of us…" Iori tried to protest, but before he finished, the body of fallen serpent began to shrink, and finally, in the place where the serpent was, stood a tiny creature whose shape was like a big rat, and it carried a scoop.

"Eek, a big rat!!" Sora screamed, followed by the other girls. Yeah, it was no surprise that the girls hated mice and rats, especially the big ones.

"Keep it away from me!!" Miyako shrieked.

"Hmmph, such insolence!" The creature muttered angrily, "I'm Gnome, not a rat!"

"So, you're Gnome, right?" Takeru asked, and Gnome nodded, "But, what happened to Yamata-no-Orochi that we fought earlier?"

"That was my alternate form." Gnome replied lightly, "Lord Baihumon told me that you will come, so I thought I want to have some fun with you guys first!"

"Have fun!?" Both Taichi and Yamato sweatdropped.

"Oh, that is not important right now!" Daisuke, who kept silent from the beginning, started to talk, "Please, we need your help!"

"Huh? Daisuke said 'please'?" Ken joked, "It seems that I should have my ears checked." He continued, followed by the laughter from the others.

"Aww, shaddap, Ken!" Daisuke's face turned red, "We don't have time for that joke!"

"Ok, ok, just kidding!" Ken snickered.

"Yeah, Lord Baihumon has told me about the situation." Gnome stated, "I'll go with you guys of course. You have proven yourself worthy!"

"So, what'll we wait for? Let's go!" Daisuke rushed him.

"…However, I need to ask you a question!" Gnome continued; it seemed that he didn't pay any attention to Daisuke at all, "On your way here, did you pass the Maze of Knowledge?"

"Yes, we did!" Iori replied, "Why?"

"So, you guys don't have that power…" Gnome nodded.

"That power?" Agumon asked.

"What kind of power did you just talk about?" Gatomon asked.

"…tell me, who is responsible for moving all the logs to open the door to the Maze of Knowledge?" Gnome asked again.

"Huh? It was me!" Patamon answered, "Why?"

"Your name is Patamon, right?" Gnome asked, and Patamon nodded, "Come here, I'll teach you how to use Reveal!"

"Reveal?" Koushiro asked, "What is that?"

"Reveal is an ancient technique." Gnome explained, "Reveal lets you see the hidden truth, something that normally you can't see."

"So, what is the purpose of this Reveal?" Iori asked.

"You'll find it usable in the Sol Sanctum!" Gnome continued, "In there, there are many mirages that prevent you to see the doors or ways. In additional, once you have mastered it, you can use it in battle to analyze enemy's weakness. However, there is one condition to learn it…"

"What is that?" Gomamon asked.

"It can only be learnt by Digimon aligned with wind. It can't be learnt by the other Digimon aligned with the other elements!" Gnome explained.

"So that why you asked about the one who pushed the logs earlier…" Takeru nodded, "I think I can understand!"

"Yes, so Patamon, please step here!" Gnome stated as he move next to the stone tablet.

"Should I do this?" Patamon asked his partner.

"Yeah, try it, Patamon!" Takeru replied.

"Try it, Pata-kun!" Gatomon cheered, which made Patamon blushed a little.

"O-ok, I'll give it a try!" Patamon stated.

"Here, touch it stone tablet!" Gnome commanded, "If you're worthy, you'll learn Reveal!"

So, Patamon tried to touch the stone tablet. At first, nothing happened, but after awhile, the stone began to glow and it filled Patamon with its light.

"Has it finished?" Patamon asked.

"Yes!" Gnome replied, "Now, let's put it into a test!"

"A test!?" Takeru asked.

"Yeah, to ensure that Patamon has learnt Reveal successfully!" Gnome replied enthusiastically.

**End of Chapter 13**

A/N: Whew, finally, chapter 13 is finished, and I think this is the longest one up to date. Hope this chapter is better that the previous ones.

Oh yeah, I've got some complain from some reviewers. They said that they found some grammatical and spelling errors in my story. I can't deny it, because English is my second language after all, so if anyone want to become a beta reader for my story, please send me a PM! I'll gladly accept it!

And, oh yeah, review please!

* * *


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Well, a new chapter is here. Sorry for a very late update. I guess it has been a year since my last opdate.

First, thanks to ARCtheElite for beta-reading this chapter before I post it. He has corrected a lot of mistakes in this chapter!

WARNING: this story may contain an OOC-ness and some coarse language.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Digimon is a property of Toei Animation and Namco-Bandai.

Disclaimer's finished, let's move to the story. Oh yeah, review please!

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Reverie**

_Western Hemisphere, Gaia Rock…_

"A…test?" Patamon asked, "Do I really have to do it?"

"Yeah…To ensure that you have learnt Reveal successfully!" Gnome replied enthusiastically, "Don't fret, it's not something terrible, I can guarantee it!"

"Oh, sorry," Takeru stated, seemed to understand his partner's worry, "Forgive us, but we're in hurry right now. Can't it wait?"

"Absolutely not!" Gnome answered lightly, "Sometimes this power doesn't work, because it requires a very strong will to see something hidden. We need to make sure that he meets that criteria first!"

"OK then, I'll do it!" Patamon exclaimed, "I'll make sure that I can do it!"

"Are you sure, Patamon?" Takeru asked; he was a bit worried, "Don't push yourself too hard!"

"It's okay, Takeru!" Patamon smiled, "I believe I can do it!"

"Yeah, that's my Pata-kun!" Gatomon cheered, "Go ahead, Pata-kun! Show us that you've really mastered that technique!"

Once again, Patamon blushed. He knew that Gatomon was really attracted to him. Of course, since he saved her from Chaosdramon's attack, they had grown quite close. However, Patamon was too shy to admit his love to her. Also, he still thought whether he was the right man for Gatomon or not. He still thought about Veemon, because although Veemon had given his blessing to them, he was pretty sure that Veemon was still loved her.

"A-alright!" Patamon stated nervously, "I won't let you down!"

"Very well!" Gnome remarked, "Follow me, please!"

* * *

Gnome took them through a long tunnel. They walked until they reached it was a dead end, which made all of them (except Gnome, of course) confused.

"So, where's the test?" Taichi asked curiously.

"Right in front of you!" Gnome replied straightly.

"You're kidding me!" Yamato stated sarcastically.

"Yeah, there's nothing here!" Daisuke protested.

"Correct!" Gnome replied all of them, which made all of them produce anime drops.

"I-is this guy really alright?" Patamon asked his partner.

"Don't know!" Takeru sweatdropped.

Gnome only smiled when he saw the DigiDestined. He had expected this situation, so he began to explain.

"Yes, you are right about this wall, but only if you see it with your eyes!" Gnome explained, "But, if you can see it with your 'eyes of truth', you can tell that there's something in this wall!"

"Eyes of Truth?" Iori asked, "You mean Reveal?"

"Correct!" Gnome exclaimed, "This wall is called the 'unbreakable wall'! You can tell them by this symbol!" Gnome pointed at the small inscription in the wall. Written in tiny runes were the words _'Seek with the eyes of truth, and the path shall be revealed!'_

"This wall," Gnome continued, "will continue to repair itself as it takes damage, like this!" Gnome stabbed his scoop on the wall. At first, the wall cracked and it seemed it would break, but in the blink of an eye, the wall had repaired itself as if nothing happened.

"See, it will keep repairing itself, no matter what you do on it. Or perhaps would anyone care to try for themselves?" Gnome asked.

"No, I think we've seen enough!" Koushiro shrugged, "But what if we can make a hole on it?"

Gnome shook his head, "The hole will vanish before you can pass through!"

"So, what can we do if the wall can't be broken?" Jyou asked, "Is there something special on this wall?"

"Correct again!" Gnome chirped, "In this world, like in your world, nothing is perfect, including this kind of wall. This wall does have a weak point, but it's perfectly hidden somewhere in the wall."

"So, if we find its weak point…" Agumon stated, "We can destroy the wall?"

"Yes, but only temporarily!" Gnome replied, "When you hit its weak point, even without full force, you will momentarily debilitate its recovery ability, and thus destroy it for a few moments!"

"And we can find it with that Reveal?" Armadillomon asked, "Amazing!"

"Yes, it's a pretty useful ability!" Hawkmon commented.

"Of course it is!" Gnome remarked, "But as I said before, this kind of power might not work at all. It requires a very strong will to activate it. Usually, the ones who can use wind are eligible to activate it!"

"So that's the reason why you asked us before about the wind stone?" Patamon nodded, "I think I can understand that!"

"Good, then shall we start?" Gnome asked, "You said that you're in hurry, right?"

"Yes, what should I do now?" Patamon asked.

"Your task is to destroy this wall using your own power!" Gnome commanded, "First, try to concentrate, and hopefully you can activate that power!"

"OK, I'll try!" Patamon exclaimed, and then he began to concentrate.

'_Please, Reveal, show me the hidden truth behind this wall!' _Patamon thought.

Slowly, but sure, Patamon's sight turned into black and white. At first, he became confused, but soon, he could see something glowing in the wall. Patamon thought it was weird, because he did not see anything like it before this.

'_Is that its weak point?' _he thought, _'OK, I'll try to strike it!' _Patamon said to himself, and then he unleashed his Boom Bubble on that wall.

'_Did it work?' _Patamon asked himself, still unsure, but his doubt was assuaged when his Boom Bubble struck the wall. The wall cracked and then fell apart.

"Oh bravo!" Gnome cheered, "You did it!"

"I did?" Patamon asked, rather surprised.

"Yeah!" Gnome nodded, "I must admit, you are the first one who can master this technique in the first try!"

'_Yeah, he must be well loved by the spirit of wind!'_ Gnome thought, _'Even after a thousand years, he still can do it easily! He's truly one of the 6 Legendary Heroes!'_

"Now, let's go!" Gnome shouted chirpily, after they had finished congratulating Patamon, "Lord Baihumon has been waiting for you, and he wants me to take all of you to the Tiger's Gate. He has something that you might want to see!"

"Huh, how did you know?" Yamato asked.

"Via telepathy, you know." Gnome stated lightly, "That's how he told me you would be there earlier! Now, enough talk! Let's go!"

After he said that, all of them gathered in the middle, and with a flash of light, they vanished.

* * *

_Western Hemisphere, Tiger's Gate…_

"My, they are so late!" Coronamon commented as he, Lunamon, Veemon, and Baihumon waited for the DigiDestined, "What a bunch of losers they are!"

"That's not true!" Veemon spat angrily.

"Oh yeah?" Coronamon asked with mockery tone, "If they had truly defeated Darkdramon, Gnome should be a breeze, ya know! So, what's keeping them anyway!?" he added.

"That's…" Veemon tried to answer, but he didn't know what to say.

"See?" Coronamon sneered annoyingly, "What do you have to say?"

"…There must be a reason!" Veemon tried to defend his friends.

"Indeed there is!" Baihumon, who kept silent from the beginning, stated.

"Huh? So they have defeated Gnome!?" Veemon asked enthusiastically, and Baihumon nodded.

"So, what's keeping them!?" Coronamon asked anxiously.

"I insisted to Gnome that he must teach one of the DigiDestined's partners to learn a technique that might help them inside the Sol Sanctum!" Baihumon replied.

"You mean Reveal?" Lunamon asked, and Baihumon nodded.

"Reveal?" Veemon asked in confusion, "What's that? Some kind of new snack?" he asked innocently, making Coronamon and Lunamon do anime falls.

"That's not a snack, Veemon!" Lunamon sweatdropped, "Reveal is an ancient technique, which, allows the users to perceive the hidden truth!" she tried to explain it.

"Hidden truth?" Veemon asked again.

"Yeah, it allows the users to see something that normally can't be seen!" Lunamon tried to explain patiently.

"Is that all?" Veemon asked, "Doesn't sound very useful for me!"

"No, there's another use of this technique!" Lunamon explained, "In battle, the users will be able to tell enemies' affinities. But of course, the users must have fully mastered this technique to use this affinity seeker!"

"Affinity seeker?" Veemon asked again, "How does it work?"

"Well, it's a bit hard to explain, actually, because neither I nor my brother can use that technique!" Lunamon stated, "That's a special technique that only a wind user can learn."

"How did you know about that then?" Veemon asked.

"Oh, it's a story that has been passed in our clan, that's all!" Lunamon replied, "Actually, I've never seen it!"

"Indeed that's a very powerful skill," Coronamon added, "Imagine, to be able to see your enemies' weak points; it's a big advantage in battle!"

Suddenly, Baihumon looked at the center of his Shrine seriously, and then within a second, Gnome and the DigiDestined appeared there.

"Welcome back, DigiDestined!" Baihumon greeted them, "I presume that you've convinced Gnome to come with you!"

"Yes, Sir, they have!" Gnome replied chirpily, "And I've been successfully passed the Reveal to one of them!"

"Well done, Gnome!" Baihumon stated, "Now, DigiDestined, I have someone who you might want to see!" He continued.

"What do you mean by…" Daisuke tried to ask, but his words were stopped as soon as he saw his partner, Veemon.

"Veemon!" Daisuke shouted, "But how!?" he asked confusedly.

"You're safe!" Wormmon shouted, "Thank goodness!"

"Thanks for worrying about me!" Veemon couldn't help but smirked as Daisuke ran to him and hugged him.

"Of course we are!" Patamon stated with a high voice, "We're so worried about you! We even made Gnome go here immediately to save you!"

"Anyway, how did you escape!?" Daisuke asked, "I thought I saw GigaSeadramon caught you!"

"Well, to tell the truth, I don't know!" Veemon scratched his head with an innocent look in his face which made everyone do an anime fall, "When I woke up after being unconscious, Lunamon and Coronamon greeted me!" he continued.

"Lunamon? Coronamon? Who are they?" Terriermon and Lopmon who joined them asked.

"Oh, that's Coronamon!" Veemon pointed to the tiny lion beside Baihumon, "And that's Lunamon!" He pointed to the tiny rabbit beside Coronamon.

"Whoa, she's hot!" Gomamon commented, "Wait, are you trying to say that THEY saved you!?" he asked with a disbelief tone.

Veemon nodded lightly, and everyone seemed amazed.

"They defeated GigaSeadramon!?" Daisuke asked, "Three MegaSeadramon were able to hold us up, and you say that THEY defeated GigaSeadramon!?"

"Well, maybe you didn't believe it, but they really saved me!" Veemon replied, "And they're pretty strong for rookie level if I must say!"

"I don't care about that!" Patamon remarked, "The most important thing to me that I'm glad you're saved!"

"Well, thanks Patamon!" Veemon grinned, "Oh yeah, let's have a little chat over there!"

"Eh?" Patamon asked a bit confused, "Why do we need to stay away from the others!?"

"Oh come on, just do it!" Veemon replied a bit impatiently, and then he dragged confused Patamon to the other side of the room, leaving the crowd behind.

"Whoa, whoa, calm down, Vee!" Patamon stated as Veemon dragged him.

"So, how's your relationship with Gatomon?" Veemon asked, "Getting any closer to her?"

Patamon's face turned red as soon as Veemon asked him about that.

"Well, I guess it went well, huh?" Veemon shrugged, "It's not surprising, I presume!"

"N-n-no, it's not like that!" Patamon protested, his face was completely red now, "There's nothing between me and Gato!"

"Yeah, and I'm a Numemon!" Veemon said sarcastically, "Come on, admit it, or should I tell Gatomon for you?" he grinned, and then held his breath to bellow, but quickly Patamon put his hand in Veemon's mouth.

"Please don't do that!" Patamon said, a bit panic, "Okay, you win, sheesh! I do love her, but I haven't told her!" Patamon continued.

"Hah, figures!" Veemon snickered, and Patamon was very surprised of his reaction.

"Vee, are you okay!?" Patamon asked confusedly.

"Yes, I am!" Veemon replied immediately.

"No, something doesn't seem right at all!" Patamon shook his head, "Did GigaSeadramon's attack drive you crazy or something??" he asked again, then he rubbed Veemon's forehead, just to make sure that he didn't catch a fever or something like that.

"Hey, what's with that question!?" Veemon looked a bit irritated after he heard Patamon said that.

"But…" Patamon tried to explain.

"If you're talking about my interest on Gatomon, perhaps I should make it clear for you: yes, I still love her, but for your sakes, my best friend, I'm willingly to give up on chasing her, because I want to see my best friend happy!" Veemon explained, "I'm sure that you're the best man for her!"

"A-are you positive?" Patamon asked to make sure.

"Positively!" Veemon answered quickly, "This is for you, buddy!" he added.

Now Patamon couldn't help but shed a tear - of happiness of course. He could feel Veemon's sincere feelings and his support for him. He even felt happy that he was going along pretty well with Gatomon.

"Whoa, whoa, why are all the sudden!?" Veemon shocked a bit seeing Patamon was crying, "Did I say something wrong?" he asked innocently.

"No, silly," Patamon smiled, wiping his tear away, "I'm very happy, and all thanks to you, buddy!"

Veemon shocked a bit again, but then he smiled and said, "I'm so glad that you're happy, Patamon!"

'_Veemon is very mature now, he even sacrifices his love just for me. I wonder if I can be as mature as him…' _Patamon thought, _'I'm so happy for the miracle of living in the same time as he is. I just hope that our friendship won't change, no matter what happened, and I promise I'll do anything to help him so that he can get rid of that curse safely!'_

"Umm, what's wrong, Patamon?" Veemon asked, "Why are you becoming quiet for all the sudden?"

"No, it's nothing!" Patamon smiled, "Now let's get back, shall we? We don't want to make them worry about us, right?"

"I guess you're right, "Veemon replied, "Let's go back!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Coronamon was observing the DigiDestined from afar. He did not seem too pleased, especially after a short conversation with Baihumon just a moment ago.

_Coronamon's Flashback…_

"_So, GigaSeadramon has left this area…" Baihumon stated; Coronamon and his sister nodded._

"_Yes, Sir, but it appears that he had put a bounty over that kid's head…" Coronamon pointed Veemon, who was talking with Patamon, "The attack of Airdramon was a proof of that!"_

"_That means this area is not safe anymore for them!" Lunamon added, "One million bits! That's awfully a lot of money! There must be other bounty hunters who after Veemon's head!"_

"_Well, you don't have to worry about that problem anymore!" Baihumon stated, "Their business in this area have been completed, and as soon as they rest, I'll send them back to Azulongmon…"_

"_Well, that's good!" Lunamon smiled._

"…_and you two will accompany them!" Baihumon finished his statement, which wiped the smirk out from Coronamon's face._

"_What!? Seriously!?" Coronamon asked with a weird expression in his face, "Why in the name of heaven do I deserve that!?"_

"_Azulongmon said that he had something for you two to do!" Baihumon remarked, "You'll have to ask him if you want to know!"_

"_I don't mind at all!" Lunamon stated, which made Coronamon startled._

"_What!? I thought you didn't want to leave this area!" Coronamon protested._

"_But this is a job, so we have to do it!" Lunamon replied, "Besides…"_

"_What!?" Coronamon asked impatiently._

"_No, nothing at all!" Lunamon quickly answered, "Don't be so upset, bro, perhaps we can gain something new by travelling to the Eastern Hemisphere!"_

"_Yeah, like some blue colored boy!" Coronamon muttered slowly, but he quickly became quiet as his sister glared at him._

"_Alright, alright! I give up! I'll go!" Coronamon shouted, "Just tell us when those damned kids want to leave!"_

"_Yay, that's my brother!" Lunamon cheered, while Coronamon sighed in defeat._

_End of Flashback…_

'_I'm pretty sure that Lunamon is willingly going to the Eastern Quadrant because of that blue boy!' _Coronamon thought as he watched Veemon from afar.

'_I can't let that happen!' _Coronamon thought again, _'He can't get away with someone that I hold so dear like that! Besides, going with that kid, my sister will be in grave danger!'_

"Why, you look so serious, what's your problem?" suddenly from his back, Gomamon came.

Coronamon startled a bit. It took a bit longer to regain his sense, and then he glared angrily at Gomamon.

"What do you want with me?" he asked cautiously.

"Oh, I'm just curious why you didn't join the others…" Gomamon remarked, "By the way, you're Coronamon, right?"

"And if I am?" Coronamon answered, he didn't seem too pleased with Gomamon.

"Whoa, dude, c'mon, don't be so cold like that!" Gomamon stated, this time with a little mockery tone, "You could murder a guy with that look!"

Coronamon threw a dangerous glare at Gomamon, which made Gomamon stopped sneering.

"If you don't have a business with me, leave at once!" Coronamon said dangerously, "I don't have time with you and your rude teasing routine!"

"Of course I have something to do here!" Gomamon stated lightly, didn't even sound a bit terrified at all, "I just want to know why you rescued Veemon, that's all."

"I don't know!" Coronamon spat, "Ask my sister if you really want to know. It was her idea after all! I don't care about that boy from the beginning!"

"Hmm…" Gomamon put a mockery sneer, "Why, I sense a jealously feeling here! Let me guess, your sister likes Veemon and you cannot accept that! Am I right?"

Coronamon froze after Gomamon finished his speech. Gomamon's sneer was growing wider after he saw Coronamon's reaction.

'_Wh-what the hell is with this guy? How can he predict my feeling so accurately?' _Coronamon thought.

"Judging from your reaction, I guess that's right, huh?" Gomamon shrugged teasingly.

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT DAMNIT!" Coronamon bellowed, "WHATEVER FEELING I HAVE TOWARD MY SISTER AND THAT BLUE BOY IS NOT YOUR CONCERN!"

"Brother, why did you shout like that?" Lunamon, who just came back after talking to Gnome, asked.

"Oh, if it isn't Lunamon!" Gomamon'a attention now was shifted to Lunamon.

"Yes, I am!" Lunamon answered politely, "And you are?" she asked.

"I'm Gomamon, Jyou's partner!" Gomamon answered, "Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

"Please to meet you too!" Lunamon replied politely, "So you're one of the destined Digimon too, I presume?"

"Yes, I do!" Gomamon remarked.

"So, what are you doing here with my brother?" Lunamon asked, "I see he didn't look too pleased with your presence."

"Ah, it's nothing!" Gomamon smirked a bit, "We just have a little friendly chat over here." He added cheerily, without looking guilty at all.

"Oh, that's good then," Lunamon relieved, "I'm just worried that you might make him upset. Please forgive him if he's yelling to you, he's in his bad mood today."

"It's OK," Gomamon answered, "By the way…"

"Yes?" Lunamon asked.

"No, it's nothing!" Gomamon quickly replied. Formerly he wanted to ask if she liked Veemon or not, but Coronamon glared dangerously at him as if he would murder him if he dared to ask that.

"Oh, then see you later!" Lunamon stated, "Oh, didn't you know?" She asked, seeing Gomamon a bit confused, "We will follow you to the Eastern Hemisphere. Lord Baihumon said that Lord Azulongmon needed us!"

"Veemon would be pleased then," Gomamon whispered a bit, but he quickly stopped it because Coronamon continued to glare at him.

"Ok, see ya later!" Gomamon stated cheerily and then he left.

"He's a interesting guy, but a little weird…" Lunamon commented, "Don't you think so, bro?" she asked.

Coronamon did not answer and just scowled, which made Lunamon a bit upset.

"Boo, brother didn't like his sister talking to him!" Lunamon pouted. This, of course, made Coronamon a bit panic and tried to explain. Meanwhile, Gomamon watched them from afar.

"What an interesting kinship bond…" he chuckled and then joined the others.

* * *

"Hey, Gomamon, where were you?" Agumon asked as Gomamon joined them.

"I'm just greeting Coronamon a bit back there," Gomamon stated lightly, pointing at Coronamon and Lunamon. It seemed that Lunamon was still pouting and Coronamon tried so hard to calm his sister.

"I…think you've done more than just greet them, haven't you?" Agumon sweatdropped seeing Coronamon and Lunamon.

Gomamon grinned naughtily, making Agumon realized that he asked a silly question, "Forget it, my question has already been answered…" He sighed, "What did you do to them anyway!?"

"So, you're accusing me for that!?" Gomamon said with a high tone, placing a hand above his heart with a scandalized expression, "I can't believe you, Agumon! I'm as innocent as a newborn baby, you know!"

"Yeah, like I will believe that…" Agumon replied sarcastically, which made Gomamon laughed flippantly.

"Y' know, Agumon, you're so much fun to tease, just like that lion!" Gomamon remarked, he was still laughing like crazy.

"So, that was your doing, huh?" Agumon shook his head, seeing Coronamon tried to talk to her again, but Lunamon still seemed to be upset, "Do you have anything else beside barging and messing everything up!?"

"Of course I have!" Gomamon stopped laughing, and now he grinned again.

"Yeah, like what?" Agumon asked again.

"Hmm, let's see…" Gomamon stated, "Oh yeah, I have something to do with Vee-chan!" Gomamon stated, "See ya later, Agu-chan!" He added cheerily, and then he left.

Agumon shook his head, "Same ol' Gomamon…" He sighed and sweatdropped, "But wait, he called me Agu-chan!? My name wasn't like that!!" Agumon shouted, but he was too late because Gomamon had left and could not hear him.

* * *

"Veeeeeeeeeeee-chan!"Gomamon shouted with an annoyingly cheery voice.

"Who is 'Vee-chan'?" Veemon asked, rather annoyed, "My name is Veemon, not Vee-chan!" He added.

"Yours, of course!" Gomamon replied lightly, "It's your nickname, like it!?" Gomamon asked. He knew that Veemon did not like that nickname (especially the suffix '-chan' which made him like a child), so he used it to annoy Veemon.

"Thanks a lot, Gon-chan!" Veemon replied sarcastically, "But I like my name, and I don't need any stupid nickname from you!"

For a while, Gomamon was laughing like crazy, until he realized something.

"Hey, since when my name is 'Gon-chan'!?" Gomamon suddenly realized that Veemon was calling him 'Gon-chan'.

"It's a nickname…" Veemon replied lightly, "Just like 'Vee-chan' that you use."

"…My name is better than that!" Gomamon protested.

"Nah, I think it is cute!" Patamon replied cheerily, "Gon-chan, it has a nice ring!"

"Yeah, I think so!" Gatomon added, which made Gomamon sweatdropped.

"OK, OK, you all win! You can call me Gon-chan for all I care!" Gomamon shouted, his cheek was a bit red because of the harassment, while all of them burst on laughing.

'_Gotcha! My plan was a success!' _Veemon thought while they were laughing, _'That should teach him not to mess up with my name!'

* * *

_

"OK, now back to our topic before Gon-chan arrive here!" Veemon still chuckled, "You guys haven't told me about your battle with Darkdramon!"

"Who do you want to hear it so badly?" Armadillomon asked.

"Yeah, it's not that special! Except, Shakkoumon digivolved to ClavisAngemon in that battle to finish Darkdramon!" Hawkmon explained.

"ClavisAngemon! Man, I wish I was there to see him! Congratulations for you two!" Veemon stated.

"Aww, that was nothing, but thanks!" Both Patamon and Armadillomon smirked.

"C'mon, tell me please!" Veemon asked enthusiastically.

"Okay, at first, Darkdramon was not too strong, although he was pretty agile so almost none of our attacks could hit him…," Tentomon stated.

"… and then suddenly he unleashed a strange technique," Armadillomon added, "I don't remember the name of that technique, but suddenly, his strength and speed were increased significantly!"

"Koushiro said that his strength and speed was increased thrice!" Patamon continued their story, "Huh, what's wrong with you, Vee?" he asked as he saw Veemon's face turned pale.

"It couldn't be…," Veemon shook his head, "How did he learn that!?"

Suddenly all of them threw a questionable look at Veemon.

"Do you know something about that technique, Vee-chan?" Gomamon asked confusedly.

"Oh, yes, I suppose you can say that," Veemon answered, but his glance was empty, which made everyone puzzled even more.

"What's wrong with you, Veemon?" Wormmon asked, he looked a bit worried, "Did we say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't!" Veemon shook his head again, "It's only…" he couldn't continue his speech.

"Yes?" Patamon asked, "Only what, Vee?"

"I'm sure you wouldn't want to hear this!" Veemon smiled weakly.

"But we want to!" Patamon protested, "Please, if you have something in your mind, let us know, perhaps we can help you to ease your problem!"

"…very well, if you insist, I'll tell you!" Veemon closed his eyes, "The technique you were talking about is called Dragon's Destiny by our clan!" he slowly opened his eyes.

"Dragon's Destiny?" Agumon, who was just joining them, asked.

"Yeah, it is an ancient technique which can be used only by ancient dragon!" Veemon continued.

"So, you mean that you have that technique?" Hawkmon asked, and Veemon nodded slowly.

"Cool, so you can be very strong with that technique!" Gomamon added.

"No, it's not like that!!" Veemon bellowed, which made everyone startled, "I consider having this technique as a curse! I didn't even want to own this technique!"

"Huh, what's wrong with that technique anyway?" Tentomon asked, "Seems to be a very useful technique to me."

"No, you guys don't understand!" Veemon stated, "This technique is very strong. However, there is one catch of using this technique!"

"What's that?" Terriermon asked.

"This technique's source power…," Veemon explained, "…is life itself, so when you use this technique, it will slowly sap your life force, bringing you closer to death! The longer you use this technique, the more life force will be drained!"

Everyone gasped after Veemon finished his explanation. Veemon was only gave them a weak smile.

"I've already told you! You might not want to hear this!" Veemon stated.

"B-but, it's not a big problem, right?" Gomamon stated, "We can be reborn if we're dead, so I guess it's okay if you use that technique!"

"I don't think so!" Veemon shook his head, "This technique is also corrupted your data as soon as you use it, so you can't be reborn! That's why there aren't many of my kind living today! In fact, I am the last descendant of my kind!"

Silent for awhile, until Wormmon timidly asked, "Err, Veemon, have you ever used this technique?"

Veemon smiled a little, and then he answered, "Sorry, pal, I'm afraid I can't answer your question. This matter is my personal problem, so I can't tell you…"

"Then promise me not to use that power!" Patamon shouted, "I, no, we don't want to lose you, Veemon! Promise us not to use that power!"

"Yes, promise us not to use that power!" Gatomon also added.

Veemon was only nodded lightly, "Don't worry; I hate that power, so I won't use that! Besides, I don't want to die, either!"

"Thank God!" Agumon relieved, "Now, shall we go? Taichi had asked me to tell you guys that we would depart soon!"

"Oh, then let's go!" Veemon stated, "Can't believe that I talked so much!" he stated with an innocent look in his face, which made everyone sweatdropped.

"I can't believe that his mood can change so quickly!" Lopmon sweatdropped.

"Well, that's our Veemon!" Patamon smiled, "I know that we can count on him!"

**-End of Chapter 14-

* * *

**

A/N: Chapter 14 is finished, hope this one is better that the previous ones... The next chapter is now in progress, hopefully it won't take me another year to finish it.

Last, please review! Any suggestions and critiques are welcomed to improve this story!


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Finally Chapter 15 is finished. Wow, I think it's almost a year to write this chapter... Sorry, I've been very busy lately and also got writer's block syndrome, so it took a lot of time to finish this chapter.

Many thanks to ARCtheElite for beta reading and giving a lot of suggestion for this chapter! Also, thank you to all who review this story! I really apreciate you reviews!

Warning: may contain some OOC-ness. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: Digimon is not a property of mine. Toei and Namco-Bandai own Digimon.

Disclaimer finished, now let's move to the story

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 15**

**Terror of Sea, Part 1**

_Dark Area, Dark Wasteland_...

"So, the DigiDestined had retrieved the third spirit!" The eerie voice of the Millennium Lord echoed in his palace.

"Y-yes, it appears that they did…" Gryphonmon trembled, "They even got two more of their partners to digivolve to Mega."

The Lord of Millennium frowned, "So, they have grown quite strong in a very short period…"

"Don't worry, Milord!" Suddenly GigaSeadramon stated; he seemed very pissed, "I'll destroy them this time! They are going to travel to the North Hemisphere!"

"Then, go, do that!" The Lord of Millennium remarked coldly, "Destroy the DigiDestined and bring Veemon here ALIVE! You understand your consequence if you fail to bring Veemon here, don't you!"

"You don't have to remind me twice, Milord!" GigaSeadramon grunted, "This time I shall not fail! I will destroy them and bring Veemon here!" Without warning, he vanished.

"D-do you think he will do that, Milord?" Gryphonmon asked.

"We'll see…" The Lord of Millennium smirked evilly. "If he does not underestimate the Digidestined's power like before, he has a possibility to succeed. But even if GigaSeadramon fails, Veemon will be surely brought to me, no matter how hard they try to defend him!" he laughed maliciously. The laugh echoed down the hall and sent a chill feeling to anyone who heard that.

* * *

_Northern Hemisphere…_

Northern Hemisphere is a place ruled by Sovereign Ebonwumon. It's a barren land covered with mostly ice and water. In the center of this hemisphere, there is a huge lake, and in the middle of the lake, Aqua Temple resides.

GigaSeadramon arrived on this hemisphere. He prepared to ambush the DigiDestined in the entrance of the Aqua Temple.

'_Heh, this is my region!'_ GigaSeadramon thought, _'Water and ice as far as you can see! This is my big advantage! I can use my water and ice power at my full might!'_

'_No Digimon will be able to beat me here! I'm invincible! Now I can get my revenge and at the end, Veemon will be mine!' _He thought again.

_

* * *

_

The Tiger's Gate, Western Hemisphere…

"Well, it's about time you guys show up!" Taichi yelled a bit.

"C'mon guys, Baihumon is about to travel us back to Eastern Hemisphere!" Yamato added.

"Sorry to keep you waiting…" Agumon remarked apologetically, "We had a little chat over there."

"No, it wasn't Agumon's fault!" Veemon added instantly, "It's me who made all of us late! I shouldn't have told that story anyway!"

"It's okay!" Taichi smiled, "We have no intention of scolding you guys! Think nothing about it!"

"Digidestined, are you ready to go?" Baihumon asked.

"Yup, we are ready!" Daisuke said enthusiastically.

"Before we go, let me introduce these two Digimon who will accompany you to the Eastern Quadrant!" Baihumon pointed Coronamon and Lunamon.

"Hi, I'm Lunamon, and this is my brother, Coronamon!" Lunamon introduced herself politely.

Coronamon rolled his eyes to the Digidestined, and then he nodded a bit.

"Hmm, Coronamon and Lunamon, very rare kinds of Digimon, just like Veemon, Hawkmon, and Armadillomon…" Koushiro stated, scanning the data of both Digimon, "Lunamon has a combination of ice and darkness elements, while Coronamon has a combination of fire and light elements."

"That's correct, that is us!" Lunamon replied politely, and then she threw a smile to Veemon, which made that blue dragon showing a flush in his cheek.

"The reason they will follow you is because Azulongmon needs them," Baihumon continued, "They are our best spies!"

"Wow, no wonder they are so powerful!" Veemon stated in amazement.

"…and enchanting, especially Lunamon, right?" Gomamon whispered to Veemon.

Veemon's face turned red. Gomamon only chuckled a bit.

"Veemon, what's wrong with you?" Daisuke asked, "Why did you face turn red all of sudden?"

"N-no, nothing, really!" Veemon quickly snapped it out.

"OK then, be sure to tell me if there is something wrong…" Daisuke stated, although he did not sound too convinced.

Veemon then turned his attention to Gomamon, who grinned naughtily at him. It seemed that he was very satisfied with Veemon's reaction.

"Gomamon, I swear I'll kill you if you do that again!" Veemon remarked; a few angry marks appeared in his forehead.

"Aww, Vee-chan is in love…" Gomamon said in a sing sang voice, "Isn't that ever so sweet?"

"Well, I am…not!" Veemon tried to deny it, but his face now was completely red.

Gomamon chuckled again. Now he was convinced that Veemon REALLY had a crush on Lunamon.

"Hey, you guys, what are you doing there?" Daisuke called, "C'mon, we're leaving soon!"

"OK, I'm coming!" Quickly Veemon snapped out. He threw an angry look on Gomamon, who only sighed mockingly. The two of them then joined the others.

'_Well, this shall be very amusing!_' Gomamon thought.

* * *

"OK, we're ready!" Taichi stated, "Let's go back to Eastern Quadrant!"

"Digidestined, good luck!" Baihumon stated, and then with a flash of light, they vanished, leaving only Baihumon.

*Sigh* "Finally they leave!" Baihumon said, "I'd better check my area now. Hopefully they didn't mess up my area as they did on Zhuqiaomon's area!"

_

* * *

_

Eastern Quadrant, Dragon's Gate…

"Azulongmon, our spy has told me that the DigiDestined had defeated Darkdramon," Gennai opened the conversation.

"That means three of them have been defeated…" Azulongmon chanted, counting the Millennium Generals whom they had been defeated so far, "So, the remaining of them should be GigaSeadramon and Gryphonmon," he continued, "But why does the situation turn worse?"

Suddenly he received a message from Baihumon via telepathy. Baihumon informed that the Digidestined had been succeeded retrieving Gnome, and therefore he would leave them to his care.

'…_Also, I received a report from our spies that a new threat has been emerged. I can't explain the details right now, so they will explain it to you directly. They should arrive with the DigiDestined shortly,'_ Baihumon added via telepathy.

"…A new threat, eh? As if we didn't have enough problems right now…," Azulongmon murmured.

"What are you talking about?" Gennai asked, but before Azulongmon could answer his question, a blinding light appeared in front of them, and with it, the DigiDestined, along with their partners, Gnome, Coronamon, and Lunamon.

"Welcome back, DigiDestined!" Azulongmon greeted them, "I see you have successfully retrieved the third spirit!"

"Yeah, that's right," Taichi grinned, "Although it was not as easy as we talk right now."

"Yes, we almost lost Veemon there," Patamon added, "Luckily these two saved him!"

"Greetings, Lord Azulongmon, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Lunamon stated politely, "I'm Lunamon, and this is my brother, Coronamon!"

"I see…" Azulongmon turned his eyes to Coronamon and Lunamon, "Baihumon told me that you two have very important news to tell me, am I right?"

"Yes, Sir!" Coronamon replied quickly.

"Well then, we'll talk about that shortly after I contact Ebonwumon to make an arrangement for the DigiDestined to travel the Northern Hemisphere!" Azulongmon remarked.

Azulongmon's attention now shifted to the DigiDestined, "You have successfully retrieved the third spirit, meaning that there is only one more left, Undine. Undine is located in Northern Hemisphere, so Ebonwumon will guide you there!"

"Great, it means that we finally can enter the Sol Sanctum after we retrieve Undine!" Daisuke stated energetically.

"One more thing, I guess you want to meet someone here!" Azulongmon added.

"Hi guys, long time no see!" A brown-haired girl shouted. All the DigiDestined turned around and they saw Tachikawa Mimi, who currently lived in USA.

"Sorry for being late!" Palmon, her Digimon partner, added.

"Mimi!" Sora shouted, "You're here!"

"Now we're complete!" Taichi added enthusiastically.

"It's nice to meet you guys again!" Mimi smiled, "Azulongmon has filled us the details about current situation."

"So, Michael is joining us too?" Daisuke asked, seeing the blonde boy besided her.

"Yes, when Azulongmon told us about the current situation of this world, he and his partner decided to help us!" Mimi explained.

"Hi, nice to meet you guys again!" Michael smiled.

"DigiDestined, I'll leave you for awhile now!" Azulongmon stated, "I need to go to Northern Hemisphere to contact Ebonwumon!" he added, and then he vanished.

_

* * *

_

Digital World, Northern Hemisphere, Turtle Gate…

"I see you're coming, Azulongmon!" Ebonwumon stated in his deep voice, "You need something from me?" he added.

"Precisely!" Azulongmon replied, "I need you to guide the DigiDestined to retrieve Undine!"

"Sure, I will show them the Water Temple, and I will contact Undine that the DigiDestined will escort her!" Ebonwumon replied instantaneously.

"Thank you for your help, Ebonwumon!" Azulongmon stated, "I will tell the DigiDestined about this!"

"You're welcome!" Ebonwumon replied, and then with a flash of light, Azulongmon vanished.

_

* * *

_

Digital World, Eastern Hemisphere, Dragon's Gate…

Without warning, Azulongmon appeared back to his place. He gave a signal to the DigiDestined to gather around him.

"All the Preparations are completed. Ebonwumon has agreed to guide you all to Water Temple!" Azulongmon said.

"Great!" Daisuke said, "Now we can retrieve the last spirit!" he added.

Azulongmon looked at Daisuke, and then he asked, "You are all looked very exhausted, are you really sure that you want to go straight to the Northern Hemisphere?"

Daisuke's attention now shifted to all of his friends. It was true that they were all exhausted after battling Gnome.

'_Yeah, it's true that we haven't had any rest after beating Gnome, also…_' Daisuke's eyes rolled to Veemon, his partner, _'and I am sure that Veemon has not recovered 100% after taking a beating from both Darkdramon and GigaSeadramon.' _

Veemon, who seemed to understand about his partner's concern, stated, "It's okay, Daisuke, as you can see, I'm perfectly okay! There's no need to worry about me!"

"I don't think so," Taichi interrupted, "We haven't got any rest since the battle with Gnome, so perhaps it's a good thing to rest a bit before we go to the Northern Hemisphere!"

"Yes, we don't know what is waiting for us there!" Yamato added.

"Okay then," Daisuke stated, "Let's take a break for awhile before we continue!"

* * *

"So, what important news do you need to tell me?" Azulongmon asked Lunamon and Coronamon.

"It's about Millenniummon, Sir!" Coronamon answered, "That kid," he pointed Veemon, "had a vision about Millenniummon…"

"…which can mean only one thing, Sir," Lunamon continued, "That death god has returned, the Lord of Millennium must have resurrected Millenniummon!"

"Also, we think that Millenniummon has the power to control the growth of curse seal on that kid, meaning that it's only a matter of time before Millenniummon can get a total control of him!" Coronamon added.

"…That's indeed a bad news, for the only antidote for that curse seal is the Light!" Azulongmon shook his head.

"Sir, we also have to inform you that we **didn't **defeat GigaSeadramon to save Veemon!" Lunamon stated seriously, "We had only managed to outwit him in the last battle…"

"…so there's a possibilities that he returns to the Northern Hemisphere to ambush them and capture that kid!" Coronamon continued, "I can't imagine how strong GigaSeadramon is if he uses his power in Northern Hemisphere as he can be twice or thrice stronger than the one whom I fought before."

"I understand," Azulongmon nodded, "So, you two suggest them not to go to Northern Hemisphere?" he asked.

"No, Sir," Lunamon answered quickly, "We just want to tell them to be careful, as GigaSeadramon is quite different from the other Millennium Generals, and the last thing we need is Veemon is captured when he travelled to Northern Hemisphere with the others!"

"Yes, GigaSeadramon is a formidable opponent!" Coronamon added, "When I confronted him to save that kid, I couldn't even leave a single scratch on him, and to think that I had digivolved to Flaremon to battle him!"

"I understand your concern," Azulongmon nodded lightly, "But you can't underestimate the power of combined DigiDestined. I'm sure that they can overcome this obstacle!"

"I must say that you are quite weird, Lord Azulongmon!" Coronamon remarked skeptically, "Even Lord Baihumon didn't trust those kids as much as you do. Are you really sure they can do it?"

"I have told you two about my opinion, and my opinion about them hasn't changed!" Azulongmon stated to end their conversation.

"Umm, Sir," Lunamon called, "If I may, perhaps can I suggest one or two more things?"

"Yes?" Azulongmon shifted his attention from Coronamon to his sister.

"Umm, by any chance, if they want to go to Northern Hemisphere, why don't they go there without Vee-kun…" Lunamon's cheeks suddenly turned rosy, "…I mean, Veemon?" She quickly got a hold of herself and continued, "I'm sure that it will be safer for him to be here rather than going to the Northern Hemisphere with the rest of them. I suggest this because I'm pretty sure that GigaSeadramon won't let Veemon loose for the second time!"

Coronamon watched his sister in a complete horror expression as his sister said that. Now he was sure that his sister had feelings for Veemon. His sister, whom he had protected ever since she was born, was in love with that insolent kid!

'_I can't believe that!' _Coronamon shook his head, _'That stupid seal was right! I can't let that happen! Not in a million years!'_

"Huh, what's wrong with you, bro?" Lunamon asked, seeing his brother's face as pale as stone, "Did you get sick by any chance?"

'_Yeah, sick of seeing you in love with HIM,' _Coronamon thought, but he was be able to force a smile and then he replied, "No, I'm alright, Sis!"

"Hmm, you made a good point there," Azulongmon nodded in agreement, "But, unfortunately, it's not me who makes decisions for the DigiDestined, so you have to tell them by yourself. Now enough of this matter! Like Baihumon had told you before, I have a job for you two to do…"

_

* * *

_

A few moments later…

"OK, are you ready guys?" Taichi asked.

"We're 100% ready!" Agumon answered, followed by the other Digimon.

"Let's retrieve the last spirit!" Daisuke added.

"Let's do it!" the others DigiDestined agreed.

"OK, let's move on!" Taichi shouted.

So all the DigiDestined and their partners, including Michael and Betamon, went to Azulongmon. Meanwhile, Azulongmon was just finished giving assignments to Coronamon and Lunamon.

"Hmm, it looks like you are ready!" Azulongmon commented as the DigiDestined approached him.

"Of course we are!" Daisuke stated enthusiastically.

"OK then, I will transport you all to Turtle's Gate, where you will meet Ebonwumon! He will explain where you can find Undine!" Azulongmon added.

"Wait!" Lunamon shouted just before Azulongmon used his magic to transport the DigiDestined, "We need to tell you something!"

"Do you really need to tell us now?" Daisuke asked rudely, "We're busy right now!"

"Yes, it's very important!" Lunamon replied patiently, holding her brother's mouth that was about to explode because of Daisuke's ungrateful attitude, "Brother, please!" she added to calm Coronamon.

"Sorry, please forgive his attitude!" Miyako stated, pulling Daisuke's ear, "Daisuke, show them some respect! Apologize!" she commanded.

Daisuke was about to snap back at Miyako, but the rest of them stared at him.

"OK, OK, I'm sorry!" Daisuke backed down.

"That's better!" Miyako smiled, "Now what did you want to tell us?"

"It's about that kid!" Coronamon stated, pointing Veemon, "I'm sure that you guys have already known that GigaSeadramon was after him, correct?"

"Yeah, we have already known that," Takeru replied.

"We need to tell you that GigaSeadramon is a formidable opponent!" Lunamon explained, "That time, we were just lucky that we could rescue Veemon from him."

"So, you two didn't defeat him!" Veemon asked; he was surprised.

"Nah, I couldn't even leave a single scratch him, although I was in my Ultimate form!" Coronamon stated as if it had been obvious, "I only distracted him while my sister rescued you!"

"Our point is, GigaSeadramon is probably waiting to ambush you in Northern Quadrant!" Lunamon continued, "It will be very dangerous, especially for Veemon, to go there!"

"So what else is new?" Patamon asked, "When we travelled to the Southern and Western Quadrant, we were also ambushed by Chaosdramon and Darkdramon!"

"You don't seem to understand, and yet you hope to defeat that leviathan?" Coronamon stated impatiently, "Think about this: what is GigaSeadramon's strongest element? And then, think about Northern Quadrant!"

"I still don't get it," Armadillomon shook his head innocently.

"Kids, you're trying my patience!" Coronamon stated irritably, "For your information, GigaSeadramon has water and ice element as his strongest traits, and if you want to know, Northern Quadrant has nothing but water and ice!"

"That means that GigaSeadramon can be twice or thrice stronger than normal!" Lunamon added, "Please think about this, OK?"

"We won't force you to obey our recommendation, it's up to you, so either take it or leave it!" Coronamon stated cockily, "C'mon, sis, let's go, we have another thing to do!"

After saying that, Coronamon left, followed by his sister.

"Boy, talk about ego, and temper!" Ken commented, sweatdropping.

"So, is that true that GigaSeadramon can twice or thrice stronger if he fights in Northern Quadrant?" Takeru asked.

"Probably," Koushiro replied, "I can't be certain until I scanned GigaSeadramon's data!"

"Then why they can be certain that GigaSeadramon could be twice or thrice stronger?" Mimi asked.

"Hmm, Coronamon said that GigaSeadramon's main elements were water and ice, and Northern Quadrant had nothing but water and ice…" Jyou murmured, "Wait, perhaps the elemental influence has something to do with this!"

"Elemental influence?" Sora asked, "What do you mean, Jyou-senpai?"

"Do you remember?" Jyou asked, "When we are in Zephyr Tower, Patamon said that he felt as if he had unlimited power, and Armadillomon said that he felt like the tower sapped his strength."

"Yeah, I remember that feeling!" Patamon stated.

"Also, when we were in Iris's Temple, Gomamon couldn't stand the heat of the Fiery Path, while Agumon and Veemon felt nothing but refreshed," Jyou continued.

"Yes, we remember that," Agumon and Veemon answered.

"So, when Digimon fought in the environment that matches their elements, they'll become stronger than usual. Perhaps Coronamon and Lunamon wanted to tell us about that!" Jyou stated his conclusion.

"What should we do then?" Iori asked, "Should we leave Veemon here?"

"No way, I want to fight, too!" Veemon protested.

"Daisuke, you're Veemon's partner," Taichi remarked, "I think you should decide whether you and Veemon should stay here or join us!"

"Why me?" Daisuke moaned.

"Because you are his partner and you are the one who can understand him completely!" Ken stated.

"Then, what are you guys think?" Daisuke asked back.

"Hmm, it's pretty difficult," Koushiro stated, "In one side, without Veemon, our power will be reduced greatly, as Veemon is needed to make Imperialdramon."

"Yeah, that's quite right," Hikari nodded.

"However, in the other side, we will be screwed if GigaSeadramon is really waiting to ambush us. For some reason, we can't detect his presence until he showed himself," Koushiro added, "I'm afraid if he used the same or even sneakier scheme to capture Veemon!"

"So, what's your decision?" Taichi asked again.

"OK then, we'll take that risk!" Daisuke stated, making Veemon very happy, "I know it will be dangerous and risky for Veemon, but we can't just to stay here and doing nothing!"

"Thanks, Daisuke!" Veemon stated chirpily, "Let's go then!"

"Well, if Daisuke has decided that Veemon will go, then let's move! Time is running out!" Taichi remarked.

"If you're ready, then I shall transport you to Turtle's Gate!" Azulongmon stated, and then with a flash of light, all the DigiDestined and their partners vanished.

"Good luck, DigiDestined, and be careful!" Azulongmon whispered.

_

* * *

_

Northern Hemisphere, Turtle's Gate…

"DigiDestined, you've come!" Ebonwumon stated, seeing the DigiDestined appeared in front of him.

"Are you Ebonwumon, the Sovereign of Northern Hemisphere?" Daisuke asked.

"Yes, I am," the great turtle replied, "Azulongmon has told me that you need the help of Undine, the water spirit, so I have talked to her that you will come. Undine had agreed to join you, but she insisted that you must come to her place."

"That's good!" Takeru stated, "Where should we go?"

"To Aqua Temple, located just a few miles from this gate," Ebonwumon replied, "You'll see a big lake with an island in the middle of it. Aqua Temple is located in that island," Ebonwumon explained.

"Wow, thanks a lot, Ebonwumon!" Taichi remarked, "That's a great help!"

"You're welcome," Ebonwumon replied, "Normally, I will guide you all, but I've something to do right now, so you have to go there by yourself."

"That's okay," Yamato replied, "Thanks for your guide!"

_

* * *

_

Northern Hemisphere, Frosty Forest…

"Wow, Ebonwumon is sure different from the other Sovereigns, isn't he?" Sora stated.

"It sure is," Agumon replied, "Ebonwumon is the oldest of the Sovereigns, and thus the wisest of them."

"This forest is too quiet," Patamon commented, "Don't you think it should be a Digimon or two here?"

"Huh, is that supposed to be that way?" Veemon asked.

"I don't know, actually," Patamon shrugged, "It's just unusual to see a forest without a Digimon in it, but perhaps it is just my feeling."

"Well, perhaps Ebonwumon has done something to make our journey easier," Gomamon remarked, "Come on, Patamon, don't be such a worrywart! You are starting to sound like Jyou," he added.

"What!" Jyou shouted, "I'm not like that!"

"But it's true, right?" Gomamon stated teasingly, and then those two began to argue, making the others sweatdrop.

"What's wrong, Pata-kun?" Gatomon asked; she was a bit worried, "It is unusual for you to be like that."

"I don't know, Gatomon," Patamon shrugged, "I'm just feel that there's something wrong going on here!"

"Hmm, can it be because of your new ability?" Gatomon asked again, "Before you received the Reveal ability, you never felt this way, right?" she added, "Hmm, weird, usually it's Veemon who can sense threats."

Patamon froze; Gatomon might not realize that, but by talking about Veemon, Patamon was sure that she still had a feeling with Veemon.

"Huh, now what's wrong with you?" Gatomon asked again, "You look a bit pale. Are you sick?"

"N-n-no, I'm fine!" Patamon replied, "Err, Gatomon, can I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course Pata-kun!" Gatomon smiled.

"D-d…," he tried to encourage himself, and finally ask, "Do you love Veemon?"

Gatomon's cheeks turned red; she did not think that Patamon would ask her such question, but finally she stated, "O-of course I do…"

Patamon looked at Gatomon with a horrified expression in his face. Now he knew that Gatomon really had a crush on Veemon.

'_Now I've done it,' _Patamon thought sadly, _'She really had a crush on Veemon.'_

"…as a friend," Gatomon finally finished her stated, "I like him as my friend, nothing more!"

Patamon was speechless. He felt as if the burden that weighed on him suddenly be lifted.

"Please don't tell Veemon about that, okay?" she insisted

"Umm, sorry to ask that silly question all of the sudden," Patamon scratched his head, "It just…"

"Hey, you two, you'll be left behind if you don't hurry!" Agumon shouted, startling the two of them.

"Oh, wait for us!" both Patamon and Gatomon shouted and started running to catch up with the others.

_

* * *

_

Northern Hemisphere, North Great Lake…

"Is this the lake Ebonwumon was talking about?" Yamato asked when they reached the edge of the forest.

"Hmm, it's matched the description given by Ebonwumon," Koushiro stated, "So I guess the Aqua Temple should be located in the middle of that lake!"

"Then let's go!" Daisuke shouted.

"Wait a minute!" Taichi shouted, "Isn't GigaSeadramon supposed to be here?" he asked.

"Hmm, I don't know," Koushiro shrugged, "According to my Digimon Analyzer, there's not a single Digimon here. The only strong presence is from the middle of the lake."

"It must be Undine's presence!" Gomamon remarked, "I can feel it! A strong water presence!"

"Wait!" suddenly Patamon shouted, "There's one more strong presence here! And it's ridiculously strong!" he added.

"Huh, I can't sense it!" Veemon stated, "Are you sure about this, Patamon?" he asked.

"Right now, I can't pinpoint the exact location of that presence, but I'm sure about it!" Patamon replied.

"Wow, how could you feel that?" Agumon asked, "Even I can't sense anything!"

"Hmm, probably because of his new ability!" Koushiro stated.

"New ability?" Mimi asked.

"Yes, Gnome insisted that Patamon should learn Reveal," Koushiro explained, "Perhaps it has to do with this! Patamon, can you tell me whose presence it is?"

"Give me a minute!" Patamon stated, trying to concentrate, "I've got it! It's GigaSeadramon's! There's no mistake about it!"

"He…he…he, I've got to admit that you've surprised me being able to detect my presence!" suddenly there was a cold, malicious sound echoed.

"What!" Daisuke shouted, and then he turned back. GigaSeadramon was flying above them, watching them carefully.

"It's GigaSeadramon!" Sora shouted.

"If you think you can capture Veemon, forget about it!" Taichi grinned, "There's no way you can ambush us like before!"

"He…he…he, if you think that, you are wrong! You have fallen into my trap! Now watch quietly! ABSOLUTE!" Without warning, GigaSeadramon shouted, and immediately Veemon was encased in the big ice, frozen solid.

GigaSeadramon smiled maliciously, and then he levitated ice-encased Veemon to his side.

"Now I shall destroy you all!" GigaSeadramon cried, "I'll teach you the terror of the sea! I, GigaSeadramon, the master of the ocean, will bury you all in the watery grave!"

"Oh no, not again!" Daisuke whined as he saw ice-encased Veemon beside GigaSeadramon helplessly.

"Damn, we were careless!" Koushiro gritted his teeth, "While we were busy looking for him, he silently cast an ice spell on Veemon!"

"But why we can't sense him?" Agumon asked confusedly, "Usually when enemies are preparing their attack, we can sense them right away!"

"Perhaps he can use advanced stealth technique, or something like that!" Koushiro explained, "Look at this!" he pointed at his laptop, showing Digimon Analyzer program he got from Gennai, "Gennai told me that this program has been equipped by basic anti-stealth technology, but even with it, it still can't scan GigaSeadramon's data!" he added, showing the error message from his Digimon Analyzer.

"This is a big problem!" Yamato shook his head, "For we can't predict his movements!"

"But we have to do this!" Taichi shouted, "We have to defeat him and save Veemon!"

"Yes, we have to do this!" Sora added, "Everyone, are you ready!"

Everyone nodded, and then all of them raised their Digivices and D-3s.

* * *

WARP DIGIVOLUTION…

Agumon Warp Digivolved to… WarGreymon!

Gomamon Warp Digivolved to… Plesiomon!

Tentomon Warp Digivolved to… H-Kabuterimon!

* * *

DIGIVOLUTION…

Palmon Digivolved to… Togemon! Togemon Digivolved to… Lilymon!

Hawkmon Digivolved to… Aquilamon!

Armadillomon Digivolved to… Ankylomon!

Patamon Digivolved to… Angemon!

Wormmon Digivolved to… Stingmon!

Terriermon Digivolved to… Gargomon! Gargomon Digivolved to… Rapidmon!

Lopmon Digivolved to… Wendigomon! Wendigomon Digivolved to… Antylamon!

Betamon Digivolved to… Seadramon! Seadramon Digivolved to… MegaSeadramon!

* * *

"Michael, your partner can digivolved to Ultimate?" Miyako asked amazedly.

"Yes, thanks to Azulongmon's digicore!" Michael replied.

"Takeru-san, let's do this!" Iori shouted.

"Right, let's go!" Takeru replied.

"Are you ready, Hikari?" Miyako asked.

"Anytime!" Hikari answered.

* * *

DNA DIGIVOLUTION…

Angemon… Ankylomon… DNA Digivolved to… Shakkoumon!

Shakkoumon Mega Digivolved to… ClavisAngemon!

Gatomon… Aquilamon… DNA Digivolved to… Silphymon!

Silphymon Mega Digivolved to… Valkyrimon!

* * *

"Fool!" GigaSeadramon shouted, "Do you really think you can defeat me! Rise, Sky Wave!" he cried, and without warning, a heavy downpour started.

"This is bad!" ClavisAngemon stated, "I can sense that his water strength has increased even more!"

"He…he…he, very good, but it's too late!" GigaSeadramon laughed maliciously, "Maelstrom!" he cried again.

Suddenly, the downpour started to form a huge vortex, smashing all the Digimon without warning. When the maelstrom cleared, all Digimon, with the exception of Plesiomon and MegaSeadramon, were lying in ground, suffering huge damage from that attack.

"His attack is very strong!" H-Kabuterimon groaned.

"We have to finish this quickly!" WarGreymon tried so hard to stand, "I don't think I can take a lot of these attacks…"

All the Digidestined could not believe what they had seen; with only one attack, GigaSeadramon was able to wipe all their partners, and knocked Stingmon out of the fight.

"How can he be that strong!" Taichi stated in disbelief, "Even Apocalymon couldn't knock out all of our Digimon at once like this!"

"I guess Lunamon and Coronamon were right, GigaSeadramon's power now is doubled or even tripled," Ken remarked as he picked unconscious Wormmon.

"But how come Plesiomon and MegaSeadramon didn't even stagger!" Yamato asked confusedly.

"I think I can explain this!" Koushiro replied, "Both of them have very high water resistance, high enough to nullify water damage. Plesiomon has even more, allowing him to absorb water-based damage without harming himself!" he explained.

"That's good!" Jyou stated, "Go get him, Plesiomon! Make him busy while everyone's recovering!"

"You too, MegaSeadramon!" Michael added.

"Got it!" Plesiomon replied, and so did MegaSeadramon.

Then, Plesiomon and MegaSeadramon engaged GigaSeadramon.

**To be continued...**

* * *

A/N: OK, sorry to leave you guys in a cliifhanger like this. It's already almost 5000 words, so I decided to stop here and put the rest on the next chapter. Hopefully the next chapter won't take a year to write.

As always, review please! Any kinds of suggestions are welcomed!

Until next time...


	16. Chapter 16

First of all, sorry guys for this very late update... If I am not mistaken, the last update before this chapter was 17 months ago. This chapter gave me so much trouble to finish it, but I believe starting from next chapter, the update will be faster, because this chapter is the most difficult one.

Also, starting from this chapter, I will consistent using Japanese names on all the characters here. I do this to avoid some confusion on the upcoming chapter.

Disclaimer: Digimon is the property of Toei Animation, so I don't own it. Also, some parts of this chapter have connections to Tales series, Golden Sun series, and Persona series. All of them are the properties of their respective owners.

Please read and review!

* * *

**Chapter 16: ****Terror of the Sea, Part 2**

_Preview from last chapter…_

"_Fool!" GigaSeadramon shouted, "Do you really think you can defeat me! Rise, Sky Wave!" he cried, and without warning, a heavy downpour started._

"_This is bad!" ClavisAngemon stated, "I can sense that his water strength has increased even more!"_

"_He…he…he, very good, but it's too late!" GigaSeadramon laughed maliciously, "Maelstrom!" he cried again._

_Suddenly, the downpour started to form a huge vortex, smashing all the Digimon without warning. When the maelstrom cleared, all Digimon, with the exception of Plesiomon and MegaSeadramon, were lying in ground, suffering huge damage from that attack._

_All the Digidestined could not believe what they had seen; with only one attack, GigaSeadramon was able to wipe all their partners, and knocked Stingmon out of the fight._

* * *

"Plesiomon, distract GigaSeadramon while the others are recovering!" Jyou shouted.

"You too, MegaSeadramon!" Wallace added.

"Got it!" Plesiomon nodded, "Sorrow Blue!" he shouted, launching his signature attack, freezing GigaSeadramon for a short time.

"I'll help!" MegaSeadramon added, "Thunder Javelin!" a spear of lightning bursting out from his horn, hitting GigaSeadramon dead, but GigaSeadramon didn't even budge.

"It's no use!" ClavisAngemon shouted, "He seems to be immune to lightning due to his ability: Lightning Rod!"

"Huh, how come you know it?" Koushiro asked.

"I am analyzing him right now!" ClavisAngemon replied, "It seems that Plesiomon's Sorrow Blue attack managed to disable some of his stealth technique!" he added, "I will send his data to you immediately after I finished!"

"Great!" Taichi shouted, "Everyone, please cover ClavisAngemon until he finishes his analysis!"

"Got it!" WarGreymon replied. He was still injured from GigaSeadramon's Maelstrom, but thanks to the distraction caused by Plesiomon, he recovered a bit.

GigaSeadramon had managed to recover, however. He quickly swung his head toward MegaSeadramon, aiming for the weaker of the two, and unleashed his Giga Sea Destroyer. MegaSeadramon barely avoided the assaulting, diving into the water just as that stream of energy washed over him.

"He is too strong, I bet even the Guardians will have problem if they have to face him!" MegaSeadramon grunted.

"Yes, and it seems that Coronamon and Lunamon were right after all. With the effect of this watery and ice environment here, his power is even greater. Luckily, this condition is also valid for us, although it seems that our water and ice attack won't work on him," Plesiomon panted heavily after doing some maneuver in order to avoid being wrapped by GigaSeadramon.

"Now what should we do?" MegaSeadramon asked as he blocked the Icicle Rain spell from GigaSeadramon.

"We just stall him while the others recovering," Plesiomon replied, "I'm sure that he has a weakness. We just need to find it!"

"Fool!" GigaSeadramon roared, "The mighty GigaSeadramon does not have a weakness! You are just wasting your time trying to rescue your tiny friend here," he smirked to a frozen V-mon beside him, "Just give up already, you won't stand a chance against me!"

"Such arrogance…," Plesiomon shook his head, and quickly maneuvered again to avoid Giga Sea Destroyer, the only GigaSeadramon's technique that could really put some damage on him, "But he's right about one point, we can't put any damage on him due to our nature element."

"…But we can! Gaia Force!" WarGreymon shouted, throwing his gigantic energy ball to GigaSeadramon. GigaSeadramon did not react quickly enough and the attack succeeded hitting GigaSeadramon dead with a big explosion. However, after the smoke cleared, GigaSeadramon was standing still, leaving only small dents over his armor. However, this attack managed to divert his attention to WarGreymon.

"Golden Triangle!" Rapidmon shouted. Golden rays in shape of triangle rushed from his body, hitting GigaSeadramon dead. Although it didn't even leave any scratch on him, but once again, it managed to divert GigaSeadramon's attention before he had a chance to attack WarGreymon.

"Annoying brat!" GigaSeadramon retorted angrily. Again, he fired his signature technique to Rapidmon.

"Let me handle this!" Valkyriemon suddenly appeared in front of Rapidmon. With her Feral Sword, she miraculously cut the attack in the middle, diverting it from Rapidmon.

"Wow, Sugoi…," Miyako stated in amazement.

"Good job, Valkyriemon, keep it up!" Hikari followed up.

"Laser Javelin!" Valkyriemon shouted, firing her signature attack. This attack managed to hit GigaSeadramon, but again, leaving only a small scratch in GigaSeadramon's head.

"This is not good…," Valkyriemon shook her head, "At this rate, V-mon's life would be in serious danger! He could freeze to death," She added, seeing the tiny blue dragon trapped inside the ice.

"I will help!" Lilymon shouted, "Flower Cannon!" she fired her attack. However, GigaSeadramon had anticipated this, so he managed to avoid it.

"Insolent fools! I will make you pay for this! Watery Grave!" he roared. Just as he roared, the water level in that area was rising, forming a huge wall of water.

"Feel the true terror of the sea!" GigaSeadramon roared, and the water was rushing toward the Chosen Children and their partners.

"Crap, at this rate, we will be wiped out completely!" H-Kabuterimon shouted panicky.

"Everyone, protect our partners!" WarGreymon shouted. All the Digimon nodded and started covering their partners as the wave was getting closer and closer.

* * *

_Unknown Area, Coronamon and Lunamon…_

"So, Gennai, you said that you have some information about the captive Digimon, am I right?" Coronamon asked as he, Lunamon, and Gennai walked together. They were getting closer and closer to the Dark Area.

"Yes, our spy network has found out that they were held in the Tower of Shadow, supposedly located at the entrance of the Dark Area," Gennai explained.

"So, we will go to the Dark Area?" Lunamon asked.

"Yes," Gennai answered.

"Are you serious!" Coronamon twitched his eyes, "I've heard a rumor that the Dark Area is the home of many nasty creatures, not just evil Digimon!"

"Yes, that might be true," Lunamon added, "I heard a rumor that the nastiest creature there was not even a Digimon. I think it is called the Reaper, the God of Death formed from many restless Digimon souls that were sent to Dark Area! It is constantly seeking the soul of the creatures outside the Dark Area who are foolish enough to enter the Dark Area."

"The Reaper! B-but, it's just a rumor, right? C'mon, I hate it if we have to face it! That creature can't be defeated in normal way!" Coronamon shook his head, "Gennai, you can't be serious! If this rumor is true, we will definitely meet the Reaper!" he protested.

"But we need to do it in order to rescue Gabumon and Piyomon," Gennai explained calmly, which pissed Coronamon off even more, "That's why QingLongmon decided to give you two this!" he drew one of QingLongmon's digicore.

"Use this to unlock the true power of you two!" Gennai explained, "It will let you to use the Divine Skills that is sealed inside both of you!"

"Divine…Skill?" Lunamon asked, "Does that mean that I can use that…technique?"

"Yes, precisely!" Gennai nodded, "That's why QingLongmon gave this digicore to you two! With that technique, you should be safe, even from the Reaper!"

"Well, at least QingLongmon does something smart and not to let this mission to become a suicide mission," Coronamon stated sarcastically, although he couldn't help but smile a little.

"OK, here we go now!" Lunamon stated as they approached the entrance of Dark Area.

Dark Area was a world of darkness. Dark Gate lay between it and the rest of Digital World. The Dark Gate itself was sealed, preventing the outsiders to enter. While Coronamon and Lunamon wandered how they could enter, Gennai drew a strange device with a black rune carved in it. Apparently, there was an empty space in the gate that matched the size that small device. When Gennai put that strange device unto it, it started to glow, and the seal vanished, unlocking the gate.

"Let's cross our fingers that that rumor is not true!" Coronamon whispered, "We do not know that we really can use our Divine Skill or not!"

"Yes, let's hope so!" Lunamon replied, and they went deeper into the Dark Area.

* * *

_North Quadrant, Lake of Ice…_

"Feel the terror of sea!" GigaSeadramon roared, as the wave crashed all the Chosen Children and their partners. GigaSeadramon smiled maliciously. As far as he could see now was water. Now he was really sure that the Chosen were dead.

"At last, I have my revenge!" GigaSeadramon laughed maliciously, "The Chosen Children should be dead now and I have V-mon in my hand! My Lord will promote me to the First Rank Millennium General for sure! Now, you look, V-mon! This is what will happen to everyone who tried to oppose me!" He smirked maliciously to the small blue dragon that was still frozen solid beside him.

GigaSeadramon's eyes widened, he couldn't believe what he saw. After the water return to normal, all the Chosen Children and their partners were still standing unharmed. In front of them stood a beautiful maiden-like creature made from pure water. Yes, she was Undine, the Water Spirit.

"What, how, when!" GigaSeadramon asked angrily, seeing his strongest water technique was blocked like nothing.

"Water is the element that brings life!" Undine remarked, "I will not allow you to use water to bring calamity!"

Behind Undine, the Chosen Digimon looked at each other, smiling. Now was their chance!

"Now it's the payback time!" Plesiomon shouted, "Sorrow Blue!" once again, he launched his sound wave attack, which immediately stunned GigaSeadramon.

"Now, H-Kabuterimon!" Koushirou shouted, "Use your Mega Horn Buster!"

"Got it!" H-Kabuterimon responded, "Mega Horn Buster!" he shouted, launched huge energy beam from his horn.

"Punishing Storm!" Valkyriemon shouted, joining HeracleKabuterimon's attack.

"Gaia Force!" WarGreymon followed.

"Flower Cannon!" Lilymon fired her signature energy cannon.

"Treasure Axe!" Antylamon shouted, throwing pink energy ball to GigaSeadramon.

"Rapid Fire!" Rapidmon shouted, firing several missiles to GigaSeadramon. All the attacks were merged together and hit GigaSeadramon with huge explosion.

"That's it!" WarGreymon cheered, but after the smoke disappeared, they found out that GigaSeadramon was survived, although some of his armors were charred and cracked.

"…Impossible!" Yamato's eyes widened, "After all we did, he should be badly injured!"

"…It's no use!" ClavisAngemon shouted, "Unless we hit him with his weakness, we can't really deal damage to him. He seems to be immune to water, ice, lightning, darkness, and machine. He also has very high resistance to fire, wind, and even non-elemental damage!"

"…WHAT! It means that he had resistance to almost all of our attack!" Koushirou shook his head.

"See, I tell you! It's impossible to beat me!" GigaSeadramon laughed maliciously, "Now, die, Maelstrom!" he shouted, and the water once again rose, forming a huge vortex.

"Crap, not that attack again!" Daisuke moaned, as the vortex approached them.

"What should we do!" Ken asked hopelessly.

"Everyone, leave this to me!" Undine shouted, "As long as he uses water, I can provide protection for you! Aqua Protection!" she shouted, and all the Chosen Digimon and their partners were quickly enveloped by some kind of barrier made from water.

The vortex stroke down all of them, but miraculously, it did not do any harm to them at all.

"What!" GigaSeadramon asked angrily.

"It's no use, GigaSeadramon!" Undine smiled winningly, "As long as I am here, don't even think of harming them with water!"

"How dare you!" GigaSeadramon shouted angrily, "Then taste this, Giga Sea Destroyer!" he fired his energy wave to Undine, but Undine was simply disappeared, and then re-appeared in the other place, completely avoiding his attack.

"As I said before, water is the element of life; I will not let you tainting it with evil! Take this, Saint Bubble!" Undine shouted, and numerous huge water drops appeared in front of GigaSeadramon, and began to explode violently. Strangely, although GigaSeadramon had immunity to water, he screamed in pain.

"How could you…?" GigaSeadramon screamed, "I should be able to nullify your water attack!"

"Saint Bubble is not just an ordinary water magic!" Undine replied, "It is the combination of water and holy magic, which is your weakness!"

"Damn, how could I not realize it sooner! Of course his weakness is holy and light!" ClavisAngemon shook his head in shame, but he quickly snapped it out, "OK then, time to act! Zenith's Gate: activate!" he shouted, opened the Gate of Zenith, releasing the intense holy light from inside, making GigaSeadramon screamed in pain.

While, while GigaSeadramon was distracted by ClavisAngemon's attack, Undine re-appeared in front of the frozen V-mon.

"Poor creature, I will release you from this prison!" Undine remarked slowly, and then she began to sing. When her song ended, she shouted, "Amrita!"

Soon, the ice vanished, releasing V-mon from his icy prison. Undine quickly caught and brought him back to Daisuke.

"Gee, thanks, Undine, I don't know what to say anymore!" Daisuke smiled as he received V-mon, "But will he be alright! His body is so cold…," Daisuke asked anxiously.

Undine didn't answer Daisuke's question directly. Instead, she began to sing again, but not the same melody as before. At the end of her song, she stated softly, "Revitalize!"

Suddenly Daisuke felt a warm feeling enveloped both him and V-mon, and he felt the warm feeling was back to V-mon's body.

"This…," no words could describe Daisuke's feeling; he felt both amazed and relieved.

"With this, at least his life is not in danger anymore," Undine stated impatiently, "More importantly, let's dispose this leviathan quickly! I will help you by providing support!"

"Sweet!" WarGreymon remarked as he avoided GigaSeadramon's Giga Sea Destroyer, "Now take this, Dramon Killer!" he shouted. Forming a tornado of fire, he slashed GigaSeadramon, hoping that he could slice him like he did to MetalSeadramon. However, this time, it didn't work. GigaSeadramon was standing still. Dramon Killer didn't even leave anything on GigaSeadramon's body.

"Take this! Lightning Tiger Blade!" GigaSeadramon roared, taking advantage of this situation. Swinging his horn toward WarGreymon, a burst of lightning appeared, electrocuting WarGreymon, before he smashed him with his horn.

"Water Cushion!" Undine shouted. Right after she shouted, the water nearby rose, catching WarGreymon before he crashed to the ground.

"WarGreymon, are you OK?" Taichi asked as he approached his partner.

"Not really," WarGreymon grunted, "I underestimated him. He is totally different from the one we faced before!"

"Well then, I guess ClavisAngemon is the only one that can actually do something to him. If that is the case, we need to protect him!" Yamato stated.

"Then, everyone, you know your role! Distract GigaSeadramon from ClavisAngemon, so he can focus on offensive, and meanwhile…" Koushiro explained, looking at Undine "…Undine will take care the healing and support. From your data, most of your abilities are healing and support, right?"

"That's quite correct," Undine replied, "If I have an opening, I will help by casting Saint Bubble, although it is definitely not strong enough to defeat him."

"Got it!" WarGreymon shouted, "Let's go, guys!" he shouted.

"Distract him!" Koushirou shouted.

Meanwhile, Undine appeared near ClavisAngemon. ClavisAngemon, who was preparing his attack, was shocked seeing Undine appeared near him.

"Do you need something with me?" ClavisAngemon asked.

"Yes, sorry to bother you, but I still think that your attack alone won't be enough to defeat him, so…," Undine stated.

"So?" ClavisAngemon asked.

"…I will pass this skill to you! It is called Mind Charge! It will help you by focusing all your strength in one attack, and thus maybe you will be able to defeat him!" Undine explained, and then she chanted something. Her chant definitely was not in a human language. A white magic circle appeared below her, and then a gentle light surrounded ClavisAngemon.

"This…," ClavisAngemon whispered.

"With this, you will be able to unleash your Zenith Gate attack stronger than ever!" Undine stated, "Beware though, that this technique need some time of 'charging' before it can fully empower your attack!"

"OK, got it, thanks Undine!" ClavisAngemon thanked her, "Now I am ready! Mind Charge!" he shouted, started gathering every bit of his strength.

Meanwhile, in the battlefield, GigaSeadramon tried to aim for ClavisAngemon, the only foe that could really put some damage on him, but the other Chosen Digimon were kept distracting him, and for some reason, GigaSeadramon was very easy to be provoked, so distracting him was a very easy job, and a very dangerous one as well.

"Punishing Storm!" Valkyriemon shouted, firing her signature attack on GigaSeadramon.

"Mega Horn Buster!" H-Kabuterimon followed, firing his energy ball.

Both attacks hit GigaSeadramon, but they only left a small dent in GigaSeadramon's armor. However, the most important part was those attack were be able to divert GigaSeadramon's attention from ClavisAngemon and Undine.

"Taste this! Frigid Coffin!" GigaSeadramon shouted. The ice in the ground started to raise, forming a huge spear to stab both Valkyriemon and H-Kabuterimon.

"Not on my watch! Gaia Force!" WarGreymon fired his signature energy ball.

"Flower Cannon!" Lilymon joined the attack.

"Thunder Javelin!" MegaSeadramon added.

"Treasure Axe!" Antylamon unleashed his signature attack. These attacks then merged and managed to destroy the ice spear before it had chance to do any harm.

"So, is this your best shot?" WarGreymon mocked him, "C'mon, it takes more than that to defeat us!"

"Shut Up! Writhe in hell, Searing Sorrow!" GigaSeadramon shouted angrily. Above his head, a huge ball of fire formed, falling like a meteor to strike WarGreymon.

"Not a chance! Feral Sword!" Valkyriemon shouted as she charging to that fireball, gracefully cutting it in half. The fireball then exploded before it got any chance to harm WarGreymon.

"Grr, Giga Sea Destroyer!" Aiming Valkyriemon, GigaSeadramon let out a stream of energy out from his mouth.

"Aqua Barrier!" Undine shouted. The water quickly rose and formed a pulsing shield before Valkyriemon. As Giga Sea Destroyer hit the wall of water, it absorbed the energy stream before it disintegrated and fell into ground with huge splash.

"You little-!" GigaSeadramon shouted angrily, but before he had a chance to attack Undine, a stream of energy approached him, making a huge explosion. After the smoke cleared, all he could see was Rapidmon, Antylamon, and Plesiomon. All were grinned satisfyingly.

"You annoying bas-," GigaSeadramon spat, but before he could do anything else, another stream of energy approached him, and again, making another big explosion. As the smoke cleared, Rapidmon, Antylamon, and Plesiomon vanished, replaced by WarGreymon, Valkyriemon, and Lilymon.

"What's happening? Are you losing your touch?" Valkyriemon mocked him. As the answer, GigaSeadramon sent another Giga Sea Destroyer toward her.

"O force that protects life, dwell here! Aegis!" Undine shouted, and Valkyriemon felt that strong protective aura engulfed her. The Giga Sea Destroyer washed her away, but it didn't even budge her due the Aegis' protection.

"Payback time! Laser Javelin!" Valkyriemon shouted. A stream of laser rushed out from her falcon, and hit GigaSeadramon dead. This attack didn't even scratch him, but making him divert his attention to Valkyriemon.

"Die, you annoying fly! Raging Mist!" GigaSeadramon shouted, firing a stream of fire and water which met in the middle, creating super-hot steam tornado toward Valkyriemon, but before it could do any harm, Plesiomon rushed to the front of her, firing aqua jet from his tail, making the steam tornado returned to harmless water.

'_Great, our strategy works perfectly,' _Plesiomon smirked winningly,_ 'I think we just need to hold a little more before ClavisAngemon can fire his devastating attack!'_

As for GigaSeadramon, he was getting more and more annoyed. Even the Chosen Digimon couldn't defeat him that way, he couldn't hit them either. All the annoyance, especially from Undine had made him losing his patience. However, he knew that all his attacks were really useless against Undine, so he couldn't do anything to eliminate her.

With this situation, he would not be able to defeat them all, unless he could eliminate the main source of threat here, ClavisAngemon. The problem was, he was continually guarded by the Chosen Digimon, unless…

"Lilymon, c'mon, you can do it!" suddenly he heard a voice came from his back. It was Mimi, one of the Chosen Children.

'_Hey, how could I so stupid like this,' _GigaSeadramon smirked, _'If I attack the Chosen Children first, their partners will surely shield them, leaving ClavisAngemon for an opening.'_

So he decided to wait patiently for an opening. It seemed that Mimi, without realizing it, had separated herself from the other Chosen Children in order to encourage Lilymon, her partner.

"Die, you Chosen Children!" GigaSeadramon suddenly roared. He fired his energy stream to Mimi, whom unfortunately was the nearest to him. All the Chosen Digimon's eyes were widened. They never thought that GigaSeadramon would attack their partners.

"No!" Lilymon shouted in horror. She was happened to be near Mimi, but it would be too late to rescue her, so she decided to take blow for her.

"Lilymon! No!" Mimi shouted, seeing her partner was about to be blasted by Giga Sea Destroyer.

"No, I have to protect you, no matter what it takes!" Lilymon shouted, "Even it costs my life!"

After she said that, the Crest of Purity shone brightly. The light of evolution engulfed Lilymon as she shouted, "Lilymon kyuukyoku shinkaa (究極進化 – ultimate evolve)… Rosemon!"

Mimi glanced amazedly as she saw Lilymon transformed into a beautiful woman-like creature with rose in her head and Tifaret jewels around her neck. She also carried a rapier made from thorns.

"Forbidden Temptation!" Rosemon shouted, and the Tifaret jewels around her neck emitted intense radiance, and cancelled the Giga Sea Destroyer with a huge explosion.

"Mimi, are you OK?" All the Chosen Children and their partners approached her.

"I'm OK," Mimi replied slowly; she was still a bit shocked, and yet she was also amazed by Lilymon's sudden transformation.

"Whew, glad that you are OK!" Jyou sighed in relief.

As he predicted before, this accident was successfully diverted the Chosen Digimon's attention from GigaSeadramon. GigaSeadramon smirked maliciously. His plan was success. Now he was charging another Giga Sea Destroyer, aiming for ClavisAngemon.

"Guys, please get back!" Undine shouted weakly, "GigaSeadramon is now aiming at ClavisAngemon!"

"Crap, this is cheap!" Daisuke muttered, "He used us as decoy to divert our partners' attention from him."

"Leave this to me!" Rosemon shouted, "I will stall him!"

"Are you sure, Rosemon?" Mimi asked.

"Yes, with the new power you gave me, I will do my best to defeat that leviathan!"

"Go, Rose Rapier!" Rosemon shouted, and her thorn rapier elongated, stabbing GigaSeadramon in process. Amazingly, it actually could pierce GigaSeadramon's armor, distracting him in result.

"Well, I see there's another annoying fly! Take this, Frigid Coffin!" GigaSeadramon roared, and soon, a huge spear of ice appeared, trying to stab Rosemon.

"Not a chance, Forbidden Temptation!" Rosemon retaliated. Once again, the Tifaret Jewels in her neck shone brightly, releasing intense energy, totally annihilating the ice spear, and blasting GigaSeadramon in progress.

"Giga Sea Destroyer!" Once again, GigaSeadramon launched his signature energy wave, but Rosemon was too fast, so she had no problem dodging it.

"Ivy Hugs!" Rosemon shouted, stabbing her thorn rapier to the ground. Instantly, numerous vines started to grow, ensnaring GigaSeadramon.

"ClavisAngemon, now is your chance!" Undine shouted, "Heat Riser!"

Instantly, ClavisAngemon felt a surge of energy running wild inside him. Rotating his key, he shouted, "Zenith's Gate: Full Radiance!"

A huge blast of light exploded as ClavisAngemon opened Zenith's Gate. The blast of light engulfed GigaSeadramon's super long body. GigaSeadramon screamed in pain. He can see that his data slowly began to disintegrate and knew he was defeated. He silently admitted to himself that the Chosen Children and their partners are really powerful.

"Did we get him?" Taichi asked as the light dimmed. His question was answered as he saw the long body of GigaSeadramon was slowly disintegrating.

"Hehehe, you guys are truly powerful, surpassing even my ultimate power here!" GigaSeadramon chuckled, "Here, this is my final gift, the X-Antibody. You will find it useful some time later!" as he said that, he roared, and then his body was fully disintegrated, leaving only a blue orb of light floating in the air.

"What is that?" Koushiro asked, "He said that is X-Antibody, but I have never heard of it!"

The blue orb was not just staying there, it quickly rushed into Betamon, who was recently degenerated from his MegaSeadramon form, slightly changing his form.

"Betamon, are you OK?" Michael asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Michael, I'm okay," Betamon, or now Betamon-X reassured his partner, "In addition, I feel a surge of energy inside me."

"Whew, that's good, I'm just worry that it will alter you or something like that!" Michael smiled, and then he picked Betamon-X.

"Hey, can you believe it? We finally defeated GigaSeadramon!" Daisuke broke the long silence after the defeat of GigaSeadramon.

"Yeah, and it is all thanks to you, Undine!" Koushiro stated, "Hadn't you showed up, we would surely be dead now!"

"And once again, thanks for saving V-mon!" Patamon added, "And helping us to finish GigaSeadramon!"

"No, no, we are doing it together!" Undine smiled, "Now, everyone must be tired, right? Let's rest up in Aqua Temple for awhile before we return to Turtle's Gate!"

"OK, let's go then!" Yamato stated, and all of them went to the Aqua Temple.

**To be continued...**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **Chapter 17 is up now. As I promised before, I will continue this story, as long as there is at least one review. However, the more reviews I get, the faster the update will be.

Also, I am sorry I have to shut the anonymous reviews option down. This I did to avoid getting spam/flame reviews, especially after I post the announcement. Also, with signed reviews, I will be able to reply your reviews.

Thank you for ARCtheElite for proofreading this and last chapter. I really appreciate your help!

Last thing, Digimon is not the property of mine; it is the property of Toei Animation. Also, some elements in this chapter also have some relationship with Persona series, Golden Sun series, and Tales series. All of those belongs to their respective owners.

After reading, please share your thought of this story via reviews. Constructive criticisms are mostly appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter 17 – Prelude of Destruction I**

_Northern Hemisphere, Aqua Temple…_

After a gruesome battle with GigaSeadramon, the Chosen Children and their partners were about to enter Aqua Temple. The Aqua Temple had almost the same layout as the Iris' Shrine, just instead of fire, here was full of water. A huge symbol of Friendship and Sincerity were painted on each of the pillars.

"So, the Crest of Friendship and Sincerity are associated with Water element, huh?" Taichi asked.

"Yes, that is correct," Undine stated, "Normally, you need to use your crest to open this shrine, but now that I am here, you do not need to do it!" Undine stated as she touched the gate gently, and the gate automatically opened.

Inside, they found another gate submerged inside the water. Besides that, there was a teleport device that was already activated, which reminded them of the other elemental shrines.

"So, we will take that teleport device?" Yamato asked as they stopped in the front of the pond where the submerged gate was located.

"No," Undine replied, "This teleport device will warp you to the Aqua Path, where your abilities will be tested to make sure that you are really worthy to retrieve me. However, the battle with GigaSeadramon before has earned you my trust, so you do not need to take that path again!"

"Great! But then, where will we go now?" Koushiro asked, "There are no other ways besides…" his eyes rolled to the submerged gate in the bottom of the pond.

"What! You didn't think that we should dive and open THAT gate, right?" Daisuke remarked.

"Of course not!" Undine stated, "You just need the right technique to make the water disappear! Just like the one in Gaia's Rock!"

"You mean Reveal?" Patamon asked, "I have that technique, so should I use it now?"

"Well, we will need it later, but now, do any of you know a technique called Arid Heat?" Undine asked.

"Arid Heat? What is that?" Iori asked, "Do you know about that, Armadimon?"

"No, is that some kind of food, dagyaa?" Armadimon asked back.

"Well, I take it as no…," Undine sweatdropped, "Now watch carefully!" she continued, and then she began to cast something. After chanting for some time, she said, "Arid Heat!"

Following her command, a searing wave of heat was appeared and began to evaporate the water from the pond. At the end, the water in pond was completely drained, giving a new passageway for them.

"Wow, that is really a useful technique!" Miyako commented, "Does that mean we also need this technique in the Sol Sanctum?"

"Precisely!" Undine remarked, "Arid Heat, as its name implies, will create heat wave that will evaporate standing water like this. So, we will not leave this place until at least one of you can use this technique!"

"So, what is the requirement of this technique?" Ken asked.

"This technique is a fire-based one, so Digimon associated with fire or Dragon Digimon usually can learn this technique," Undine explained.

"Fire based?" Takeru asked, "Then it might be Agumon or V-mon, right?"

"Yeah, they suit the requirement perfectly," Jou nodded, "But, may I ask you a question, Undine?" he continued.

"Of course, please ask!" Undine replied politely.

"How did you learn that technique? I thought only fire type can learn that," Jou asked curiously. Koushiro nodded in agreement.

"Well, that's because this technique is also needed to manipulate water," Undine explained, "Other than that, all my techniques are water, ice, or support-based."

"OK then, thanks for the explanation!" Jou remarked.

"No problem," said Undine. Turning to Patamon, she asked, "You – Patamon, right? You said earlier that you have the Reveal technique?"

"Yes, that's correct," Patamon replied, "So what should I do?"

"There's a hidden switch somewhere in the gate to open it!" Undine explained, "Your task is to find it using Reveal. As long as you have mastered Reveal, you will have no problem finding it."

"OK, here I go!" Patamon started to concentrate. Like before, his sight turned into white-black color, and strangely, he saw a lever in in the wall beside the door that he couldn't see earlier.

'_OK, that must be the switch Undine talked about,' _Patamon thought, _'Here I go!' _He pulled that lever, and with a loud noise, the gate opened.

"Great," Undine remarked, "Now everyone, let's go inside, shall we?"

* * *

_Aquarius Hall…_

The Aquarius Hall was like the other three halls where the spirit dwelled. In the middle of the room, there was a stone tablet, like in Gaia's Rock.

"Now, before I pass the Arid Heat technique to one of you, please rest awhile. I know that you are very tired. After that, I will teach one of you Arid Heat, and then we will return to Lord Xuanwumon together!" Undine stated.

* * *

"Daisuke, how is V-mon's condition?" Patamon asked.

"Oh, he is still unconscious, but don't worry, he will be okay," Daisuke replied, laying V-mon on the ground.

"Well, thank God!" Patamon remarked. As soon as he said that, V-mon's eyes twitched, and then he opened his eyes.

"Uhm, Patamon, Daisuke?" V-mon asked confusedly, "Where are we?"

"V-mon, you don't know how happy I am to see you wake up!" Daisuke's voice trembled, "Oh yeah, we are in Aqua Temple."

"Well, I must be unconscious for a very long time," V-mon stated lightly as he tried to sit, "Huh, Patamon, why are you crying?" he asked confusedly.

"You idiot!" Patamon cried, "You don't know how worried I am! This is the second time you were almost got captured!"

"Oh, sorry about that, Patamon!" V-mon consoled, "Well, where is GigaSeadramon? The last thing I remember before I fell unconscious is I was frozen by him."

"Oh, don't worry about him, buddy!" Daisuke smiled, "We have already disposed of him, thanks to Undine's help!"

"Yeah, and thanks to her, you're saved!" Patamon remarked, "I was really worried that you would be gone, given that you were trapped in that ice for quite long."

"Undine?" V-mon asked again, "Who is she?"

"Undine is the elemental spirit of water," Patamon explained, "When we were almost defeated by GigaSeadramon's Watery Grave, she emerged in the nick of time and helped us by granting us water immunity. Not only that, she also helped us by casting many supportive magic. Oh yeah, she was also the one who freed you from the ice, and healed you."

"Then later I need to thank her!" V-mon stated. He tried to stand, but he fell back.

"Hey, hey, take your time, Vee!" Patamon convinced his friend, "We will rest for awhile here now, so no need to rush. I will tell everyone that you are OK, so take your time, OK?" and then Patamon walked away to tell everyone about V-mon's condition.

V-mon nodded. Turning, he took a look on the curse seal in his hands. The curse seal had grown even bigger than before; in fact, it almost covered all of his arms. Now he was really sure that Millenniumon had already been resurrected, as he was the only one who could control the growth of this curse seal. V-mon realized that the time was drawing near for him. Millenniumon's power even surpassed the power of the four Guardians combined, and clearly he was not a fool. He must have planned something so they could not retrieve the Light and undo the curse. Thinking about this had made him sad, but for the sake of everyone, he decided not to tell them.

"Vee, what are you thinking?" Daisuke looked at V-mon anxiously, "Are you still worried about that stupid seal? Don't worry, with Undine, we can finally enter the Sol Sanctum and retrieve the Light!"

Hearing Daisuke's word made him feel even sadder. He knew that Daisuke was trying so hard to cheer him up, but this situation was unavoidable. He really wanted to tell Daisuke about the Millenniumon, but he couldn't bear to see Daisuke and the others losing hope.

'_I must be strong,' _V-mon thought, _'I'm sure that even the chance is nearly impossible, there's still hope that I can undo this seal before it is too late. Yeah, come to think about it, we were always like this, right? To turn nearly impossible situation into reality, yes, that's the power of us.'_

V-mon then turned to Daisuke, trying so hard to act as normal as possible, saying, "Yeah, you're right! With this, we can finally enter the Sol Sanctum and retrieve the Light, and after that, we can give a serious kicking in the Lord's Millennium face for this!"

Hearing V-mon's word had made Daisuke a bit relaxed. He then added, "Yeah, we will make sure that he will get that!"

"Then, let's join the others!" V-mon remarked. At least when he was with the others, he would not think about this matter anymore.

* * *

"Oh, there they are!" Patamon remarked as he saw Daisuke and V-mon joined them.

"V-mon, oh thank God!" Wormmon quickly hugged his jogress partner, "I was really worried about you!"

"Thank you, Wormmon, but really, I am okay now!" V-mon couldn't help but grin to his jogress partner.

"We were really worried to death. We thought that we were too late to save you!" Agumon added.

"Yeah, thankfully Undine came just in the nick of time!" Gomamon stated, "To tell the truth, I almost gave up that time if she did not come."

"So, you are Undine, huh?" V-mon asked the water nymph in front of him, and she nodded lightly, "Umm, thank you for saving me, and my friends!" V-mon bowed a little.

"No problem, it is my duty to help you all protecting this world," Undine smiled, "Besides, I can't stand if water is being used to destroy life, while it should be the element to bring life."

"So, you will join us, right?" V-mon asked, "Or do we need to fight you to convince you like Salamander or Gnome?"

"No need for that, the battle with GigaSeadramon before has shown me that you guys are worthy to receive me, so don't worry about that," Undine remarked, "However, like I said before, we will not leave this place until at least one of you can master Arid Heat successfully."

"Arid Heat? What is that?" V-mon asked again, "Hey, it seems that I really miss a lot of things!"

"Arid Heat is an ancient magic that allow its user to drain standing water using fire power," Undine explained, "So, there are two of you here who seem to be capable to learn this technique, you and Agumon. Now, you two, come here!" Undine moved closer to the stone tablet.

"Let's go, V-mon!" Agumon stated enthusiastically.

"Are you sure that I should learn this technique too?" V-mon asked. He was really unsure whether it would be beneficial to let him learn that technique.

"Of course!" Undine replied, as if it was very obvious, "It is always better to have two who can use this technique! Now move here, hurry, we don't have much time!" Undine stated as she dragged V-mon to the stone tablet.

"Hey, hey, calm down, I can walk by myself!" V-mon remarked.

"Now, I want you two to touch the stone tablet!" Undine commanded Agumon and V-mon, "Don't worry, it won't hurt you or anything," she assured both of them.

Agumon and V-mon could only look at one another, but with Undine waiting impatiently behind them, they didn't have any other choice than to touch it. As soon as both of them touched it, the stone tablet glowed brilliantly, and it began to fill both Agumon and V-mon with its light. After that, the stone dimmed and vanished.

"Great, it seems that both of you are really worthy to learn Arid Heat!" Undine remarked, "Now just to make sure that you two can really use that, I will set a test for you!" Undine snapped her finger, and then two ponds full of water appeared before them.

"Use Arid Heat to drain the water from these ponds!" Undine commanded both of them, "We will not leave until both of you can drain all the water from these ponds!"

"OK, but how do you activate this ability once more?" Agumon asked, remembering that Undine needed to chant something to use Arid Heat.

"Simple, just focus your mind to channel your power to the water, and it should work!" Undine replied, "As for me, because I am not a fire type, I need to cast some spell to allow me to use Arid Heat!" she added before anyone questioned her.

"OK, here I go!" Agumon stated, and he tried to concentrate his mind. As soon as he did that, a heat wave appeared outside the pool and started to drain the water from there. However, before all the water was drained, the heat wave stopped.

"Hmm, not bad for the first try," Undine commented, as she refilled Agumon's pond, "Try again, Agumon! Focus your mind!"

"OK, this time I will do it for sure!" Agumon shouted, and now he tried so hard to concentrate his mind. The second heat wave appeared above the water, and this time, it successfully drained all the water from the pond.

"Great, I see you have mastered this technique!" Undine stated as all of them started to congratulate Agumon, "Just remember, focus all your mind, Agumon, and you will have no problem using this technique!"

"Now, your turn, use Arid Heat to drain the water out of this pond!" Undine turned to V-mon, snapping him from his thought.

"Umm, how do we do this once again?" V-mon asked innocently, which made Undine sweatdrop.

"You are not listening, are you?" Undine muttered, "Focus your mind to channel your power to the water, and no daydreaming allowed either," Undine added lightly, knowing that V-mon was daydreaming when she explained this to Agumon.

"Now do it quickly!" Undine commanded impatiently, "We don't have much time! Lord Xuanwumon is waiting for us!"

"OK, OK, sheesh," V-mon sweatdropped, "Here I go, Arid Heat!" He shouted while trying so hard to forget about Millenniumon and starting to concentrate. After a brief moment, searing heat wave appeared above the water, and it quickly drained the water for the pond, leaving no water inside.

"Wow, I expect nothing less from you, V-mon, the hero from the past!" Undine commented as all of them once again came to congratulate V-mon, "With this, my job is done, let's go to Turtle's Gate!" She added.

"Great, finally we can enter Sol Sanctum!" Taichi stated as they gathered in the middle. Undine then began to chant something, and with a burst of light, they vanished.

* * *

_Northern Quadrant, Turtle's Gate…_

"Hmm, they are coming!" Xuanwumon remarked, and with a flash of light, Chosen Children, their partners, and Undine appeared before him.

"Lord Xuanwumon," Undine bowed, "I brought them here as you've commanded me, and I have taught them how to use Arid Heat!"

"Great!" Xuanwumon stated, "Now, my children, I will send you back to QingLongmon! Go, the future of Digital World is at your hands!" he added, and then he teleported them all back to the Eastern Quadrant.

"Good luck, my children!" XuanWumon remarked slowly, and then he continued his meditation.

* * *

_Eastern Quadrant, Dragon's Gate…_

"Children, welcome back!" Qinglongmon stated as they appeared in front of him, "Do you bring Undine back?"

"Greetings, Lord Qinglongmon," Undine bowed a little, "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Good," QingLongmon nodded, "Now, you need to prepare yourselves to enter the Sol Sanctum! It will be dangerous, but I'm sure you can do it!"

"Danger is our specialty, right?" Taichi stated, "Yeah, don't worry about that, Qinglongmon!" Yamato added, "We will save this world, just like before!"

"Good, normally I will send Gennai together with you to the Central Quadrant, but unfortunately, he is now running an errand together with Coronamon and Lunamon, and I haven't heard anything from them since then."

"What kind of errand do you ask them to do, anyway?" Koushiro asked.

"To rescue Gabumon and Piyomon," Qinglongmon answered, "We have already pinpointed their location, so I send them there. They are held captive in the Tower of Shadow, near the entrance of Dark Area."

V-mon's eyes widened as he heard Qinglongmon said that. How could he do that? He knew that Dark Area was very dangerous, and yet he still sent them there. V-mon couldn't help but started to think about Lunamon. He knew that Lunamon is strong, but as Qinglongmon said before, they hadn't heard anything from them since then, making him worried about her.

"Lunamon…," V-mon closed his eyes and whispered slowly, "Please be alright."

"Anyway, just tell me when you are ready!" Qinglongmon stated, "Make sure that you have prepared anything!"

* * *

"Qinglongmon, can I talk with you?" V-mon asked.

"Of course, my child," Qinglongmon replied, "What do you want to know from me?"

"You know that Millenniumon has been revived, right?" V-mon asked, and Qinglongmon nodded lightly, "They have told you, right?"

"Right, so your point is?" QingLongmon questioned him again.

"So, even you knew this, you haven't told us about this matter, huh?" V-mon asked, "What do you want to achieve from doing this anyway?"

Qinglongmon's eyes rolled to V-mon; it seemed that V-mon's question had raised a point to him. After awhile, he closed his eyes, and said, "Even if I tell you about him, there's nothing you can do, for his whereabouts is unknown."

"B-but, you DO know that he is very dangerous, right?" V-mon protested, "At least, you could warn us about that, because…" V-mon suddenly stopped and touched his arm, which now was almost completely covered by the Curse Seal.

"Are you afraid?" Qinglongmon asked.

"Yeah, sort of," V-mon closed his eyes, "Not that I am afraid of death, but what I am really afraid is my friends will end up injuring themselves in order to protect me, or even worse, die. Last time, they almost got killed by GigaSeadramon. GigaSeadramon is one thing, but Millenniumon is clearly different from the other Millennium Generals; his power even surpasses Demon, which we couldn't even defeat."

"You must trust your friends, V-mon!" Qinglongmon remarked, "I'm sure they also know that risk, and because they care about you, they willingly risk their lives. But you yourself, even though you know about Millenniumon, you still haven't told them, right?"

"Yeah, I couldn't bear to see them losing hope," V-mon replied, "Anyway, thank you for listening to my problem, Qinglongmon, I think I know what to do now," he forced to smile, and then he left to join the others.

'_I really hope that I was wrong, but well, if the situation comes to this, I don't have any other choices!' _V-mon thought, _'I must protect all my friends, even if it costs my life!'_

* * *

_Dark Area…_

Meanwhile, Gennai, Coronamon, and Lunamon had ventured deeper into the Dark Area. So far, they hadn't met any trouble at all.

"Whew, so far is so good…," Coronamon sighed as they navigated cautiously through the Dark Plains.

"Yes, it seems that the existence of the Reaper is just a wild rumor," Lunamon added, "Also, luckily, ever since we entered this area, we haven't met any nasty Digimon."

"Let's hope that we **will** **not** meet any nasty creatures here!" Coronamon stated.

"Well, I think our destination is not far from here!" Gennai stated, pointing at a lone tower in the middle of the darkness.

"Great then…," Lunamon remarked, but her words were cut as she heard a faint noise. The source of noise was still far away but she was pretty sure about that.

"What's wrong, Sis?" Coronamon asked confusedly.

"…Can you hear that, Bro?" Lunamon asked cautiously, "I heard a faint clatter of chains just now!"

"C-c'mon, I didn't hear anything, just don't scare me…," Coronamon replied, but as soon as he said that, he also heard the sound Lunamon mentioned before.

"There is a bad rumor about this…," Lunamon remarked seriously, "They said that the arrival of the Reaper is always marked by the sound of chains. Of course, no one has ever confirmed this, but still…"

"Anyway, let's move!" Coronamon stated, "If it's really the Reaper, there's a chance that we'll be screwed completely!"

Frightened, they hastened their walk. Even with this, the sound of chains was getting clearer as they walked.

*Pant, Pant* "Did we lose it!" Coronamon panted as they walked as fast as possible to avoid the Reaper.

"I hope so—," before Lunamon could finish her sentence, several bullets flew towards them from behind. They managed to avoid them, but when they turned to see who did that, their worst nightmare had become reality. They saw a creature who wielded guns in its both hands. That creature had chains wrapped around its body, and its face was wrapped with bandages.

"Oh God, it's really the Reaper!" Coronamon's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he saw.

"…So that rumor is true at all," Lunamon whispered.

"…So, what are we waiting? Let's run!" Coronamon shouted, and the three of them started to run as fast as possible.

"C'mon, use your Divine Skills!" Gennai shouted as he tried so hard to avoid the barrage of bullets from the Reaper's guns, "We should be able to hide our presence if you can activate them!"

"Hah, talk is easy, Gennai!" Coronamon bit back, "How are we supposed to concentrate at time like this! Surely you know that we need to focus our mind before we can activate our Divine Skills!"

"Then I will act as decoy!" Gennai shouted.

"I…will…not…allow…that!" The Reaper's voice echoed eerily. Soon, before they could do anything, countless beams of light were dropped after them.

"Sis, are you OK?" Coronamon panted as he checked his sister after somehow managed to avoid all the beams.

"…I am OK," Lunamon replied, "Bro, please cover me while I cast!"

"Gotcha!" Coronamon shouted as he ran to the Reaper. However, the Reaper simply fired its guns on him. Coronamon managed to avoid all of them, barely, before he realized that the Reaper did that just to drive him out from it, so that it could take aim on Lunamon.

"You…will…not…escape, Prophecy of Doom!" The Reaper's voice echoed again. Soon, a seal of pure darkness formed below Lunamon. Not only that, countless sheets of light were also begun to surround her. Realizing this, Lunamon quickly cancelled her spell, and managed to escape just before the both dark and light seals exploded.

"I'm sorry, Sis," Coronamon stated apologetically, but before she could say anything else, a blade of lightning was dropped on them. Luckily, both of them had jumped over before the lightning could strike them.

"We need to do something!" Coronamon panted heavily, "Otherwise, we are done for sure!"

"But what?" Lunamon asked, "Other than Divine Skill, I can't think another way."

Gennai also tried to distract the Reaper. Unfortunately, like Coronamon, the Reaper simply fired on him to drive him out from it, and then took another aim at Lunamon.

"This guy is really fast!" Coronamon muttered. He, of course, couldn't stay in one place very long. Soon, a large orange seal formed below him. Realizing this, Coronamon quickly jumped away from that seal. Lucky for him, as soon as he was outside of that seal, several jets of fire engulfed the seal before it exploded.

"This is really bad!" Lunamon shook her head. Like her brother though, she couldn't stop moving, because before she could say anything else, a huge fireball dropped from the sky. Realizing this, Lunamon quickly ran off. The ball exploded as it hit the ground, and its shockwave was strong enough to send three of them flying.

"You've got to be kidding!" Coronamon grunted as he recovered from the explosion, "Thunder Blade, Ignite Prison, Explode… Just how many ancient spells does it have?"

"Well, if we don't do something, we'll be finished for sure!" Gennai coughed badly as he tried to recover.

"But, how…?" Coronamon asked desperately, before he realized that the Reaper has done something else. This time, a black portal appeared before him, and before he could even react, it opened, releasing intensive dark energy. Coronamon screamed as he was trapped in the stream of dark energy.

"Black Hole? How could it cast that!" Lunamon asked helplessly seeing her brother screaming in pain.

"I…will…send…you…to…your…death, Voltaic Line!" The Reaper's voice echoed again. Without warning, a burst of lightning rushed from its double longbarrels, attempting to hit Lunamon. Lunamon was quick enough this time, so she could avoid it just in the nick of time.

"This is not good…," Coronamon moaned weakly as he tried to stand. The power of darkness from Black Hole had significantly weakened him. As it wasn't enough, a ball of pure darkness appeared before him. Coronamon could just look at it helplessly as it started to release its dark power.

"Not a chance!" suddenly he heard his sister's voice, and he felt that he was being pushed away from the dark ball. Lunamon had risked herself to save him from that attack.

"Sis, what are you doing…," Coronamon asked weakly as he witnessed his sister caught in the dark energy radiating from the ball.

"No problem, Bro," Lunamon forced herself to smile, although she endured a lot pain from that, "This is Negative Gate, and it is a dark type magic, so at least I can endure it!"

"You two, are you OK?" Gennai asked as he tried to approach them.

"Gennai, watch out!" Lunamon tried to warn Gennai, but it was too late; the Reaper had fired his guns to the ground beneath Gennai. Suddenly, clods of earth rose, preventing Gennai from moving.

"You're…finished…," The Reaper's voice echoed once more. Without warning, streams of energy appeared before them, and as they concentrated into a huge energy sphere, it exploded, engulfing that area with energy storm. After the explosion, the three of them were barely conscious, and could just watch helplessly as the Reaper prepared its signature attack to finish them all.

"Damn, are we going to die here!" Coronamon asked in frustration. He tried to move, but his wounds were too severe, preventing him from doing anything.

"It's no use, I can't move…," Lunamon replied weakly. As she said that, a dark glyph was formed below them, followed by countless sheets of light. Realizing this, Gennai used his last strength to push both of them out from the glyph.

"Here, use the teleport stone! Escape from here! The Chosen Children still need your help!" Gennai quickly threw two teleport stones to them.

"B-but, how about you!" Coronamon asked.

"It was too late for me to escape," Gennai shook his head, "But you two must live. You must survive…and help the Chosen Children…," he added. As he said that, the dark and light seal was glowing, signing that it would explode soon.

"B-but…," Lunamon tried to reach Gennai, but he was stopped by her brother.

"No Sis, it's too late. We must escape, otherwise his sacrifice will be wasted!" Coronamon remarked. Realizing this, Lunamon nodded, and both of them vanished.

"Goodbye, children of sun and moon, and good luck…," Gennai stated. After he said that, both light and dark seals exploded. After the light dimmed, Gennai was nowhere to be seen; he was replaced by a light ball floating in the place where he used to stand.

"Perfect…soul…too…bad…two…escaped…," The Reaper's voice echoed as it absorbed the ball into its own, and then it vanished.

* * *

_Outside the Dark Area, Desert Oasis…_

With a flash of light, Coronamon and Lunamon appeared in Desert Oasis, outside the Dark Area. They just couldn't believe that they could escape from the Reaper, with a great sacrifice from Gennai of course.

"Ugh, I know that the Reaper would be very strong if it really exists, but still, I couldn't believe that he would be that strong. Damn it, it should be illegal to be that strong…" Coronamon grunted as he tried to stand. However, due to his severe injuries, he couldn't.

"Yeah, can't believe it actually could use some of the forbidden magic…" Lunamon stated weakly.

"…You're right…," Coronamon muttered, "Damn, I was careless and got caught by that Black Hole."

"No, even if you could avoid it, the Reaper would get us anyway," Lunamon shook her head, "That magic it used before, I think it would hit us no matter how hard we tried to avoid it. I can't believe such horrible technique would exist."

"Yeah, even I don't know what kind of magic is that," Coronamon remarked, "I was just surprised that it actually didn't kill us…"

"…Yeah, but poor Gennai," Lunamon sobbed, "Because of us, he…he was…," she couldn't continue her speech.

"Sis, there's no use crying over spilled milk," Coronamon shook his head, "Ugh, damn injury, I still couldn't move at all…," he grunted as he tried to stand again, but failed.

"I guess we'd better rest for awhile here," Lunamon suggested, "This place seems quite secure, so I think there would be no nasty Digimon would attack us here."

"But if the Reaper follows us to here…," Coronamon protested.

"No, I believe that it will not happen. According to the rumors, the Reaper never leaves the Dark Area, and so far the rumors we heard are true, right?" Lunamon stated.

*Sigh* "I hope it is really true, and for the next, I guess we need to assist those Chosen brats and *ugh* their partners," Coronamon gulped, indicating that he didn't really like this idea.

"Yeah, I think that was the last words Gennai left for us: to help the Chosen Children rescuing Gabumon and Piyomon," Lunamon suggested.

"Well, I guess we don't have any other choices," Coronamon sighed, "But first, we need to recover our condition."

"Yeah, and then we'll go directly to the Sol Sanctum," Lunamon added, "I believe that they has entered the Sol Sanctum as we speak."

"OK then," Coronamon ended their conversation, before both of them fell into a deep slumber due to exhaustion.

**End of Chapter 17**


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: OK, here goes chapter 18! Thanks for all of you who reviewed. You are really the best! Also, thanks to ARCtheElite who helps me proofreading this chapter.

Sorry for the delay for this chapter. I am just a bit busy lately, but I promised I will release the update regularly.

Disclaimer: Digimon is the property of Toei Animation. I don't own anything in this story. I also take some properties from Persona series and Tales series. All of those properties belong to their respective owners.

Please review! Any suggestions and feedbacks are greatly appreciated!

* * *

**C****hapter 18 – Prelude of Destruction Part 2**

_Eastern Hemisphere, Dragon's Gate…_

"Children, are you ready?" Qinglongmon asked.

"Ready!" Daisuke answered.

"Yeah, this time we will do it for sure!" Taichi added, "We will retrieve the Light and defeat that Millennium Lord!"

"Yeah, we have saved this world twice before, I'm sure that we can do it again now!" Yamato also added.

"Then, I will transport you to the Central Hemisphere…," Qinglongmon remarked.

"Wait a minute!" It was Gnome and Sylph. They stepped to the front of the Chosen Children.

"Do you need something?" Takeru asked.

"Yeah, I heard that Gnome and Undine had taught you some useful techniques, but we haven't," Sylph stated. Next to her, Salamander nodded in agreement.

"So to make it fair, we will also teach you some useful techniques!" Salamander added.

The Chosen Children nodded. They knew that some addition force would definitely help them later in the Sol Sanctum, as they didn't know what would wait for them there.

"First, I will teach one of you Sand technique," Sylph stated, "You will need this technique in Sol Sanctum."

"So, what kind of technique is this Sand?" Iori asked.

"It will allow its user to melt and become sand, so he or she can cross any obstacles as long as there is sand there," Sylph explained.

"I think I can show you how," Gnome added, "Take a look of this!" and suddenly his body disintegrated and became one with the sand in the floor. After a while, he returned to normal.

"Useful, isn't it?" Gnome grinned.

"Yeah dagyaa," Armadimon nodded in agreement, "Especially if you need to hide after raiding the refrigerator, dagyaa," he added while the others laughed.

"Umm…sure," Sylph sweatdropped, "However, you will definitely need this technique in the Sol Sanctum. Then, you, Armadimon, bearer of Earth power, you should be able to do it! Come here!" she commanded as she summoned a stone tablet.

"Touch it, and you should be able to learn it!" Sylph commanded.

"OK here I go, dagyaa!" Armadimon shouted, touching the stone tablet. As he touched it, light surged from the tablet, filling Armadimon with power, and after that, the stone vanished.

"Great, I think you have learned it successfully!" Sylph remarked, "Now, I will test you, Thunder Cage!" She shouted. Without warning, a cage made from electricity surrounded Armadimon.

""Try to escape from this Thunder Cage without harming yourself!" Sylph commanded. Armadimon was panicked finding himself trapped in the Thunder Cage. He looked at his partner.

"Armadimon, you can do it!" Iori cheered him, "I know you can!"

"Just concentrate, and you should be able to do it just fine!" Gnome added lightly.

"OK, here I go, dagyaaaa…," Armadimon shouted as he tried to concentrate. After a while, Armadimon's body melted into sand.

"Did I do it, dagyaa?" Armadimon asked confusedly. He was surprised that he turned into a pile of sand.

"Yeah, that's good!" Sylph nodded, "Now just try to move out of that Thunder Cage like there's nothing there. As sand, you couldn't be harmed at all, so don't be afraid!" she added.

"OK then, I will try it, dagyaa!" Armadimon remarked.

He then moved to the outside of the Thunder Cage. He was so surprised and amazed that he was not harmed at all. Sylph was right; at this form, he could not be harmed, at least by this Thunder Cage.

"Now, how should I return to my normal form, dagyaa?" Armadimon asked.

"Just concentrate again and think of your normal form, and you should get back without problem!" Sylph explained.

"Got it, dagyaa!" Armadimon shouted, and before long, he returned to his normal form.

"Great, I see you have no problem mastering this ability!" Sylph remarked as all the Chosen Children and their partners congratulated Armadimon.

"Now, for me, let me think…," Salamander stated, "…I guess I don't have any ability that might be useful for you…," He scratched his head, while the other sweatdropped.

"Oh sure you have!" Undine scolded him, "Just teach them one of your offensive ability. I'm sure it will be useful as they will need to fight later!"

"…OK then, so who want to learn some of my fire techniques?" Salamander asked.

"I guess me and V-mon could use some additional techniques…," Agumon remarked.

"Hmm, you two may be able to learn some of my techniques, I guess…," Salamander commented as he inspected Agumon and V-mon, "Then, follow me!" Salamander commanded both of them.

"Umm, are you sure about this?" Again, V-mon questioned Salamander as he questioned Undine before.

"…Of course he is sure!" Agumon stated enthusiastically, "Some additional techniques will be very useful!"

"I must say that you have been behaving strangely since you recovered from GigaSeadramon's attack…," Daisuke remarked, "Are you sure you are OK, Vee?"

"O-of course I am!" V-mon quickly snapped out, "OK, if you insist, I will do it!"

"Now that's my partner!" Daisuke remarked proudly. V-mon sighed in relieve. Honestly, he didn't want to make Daisuke worry about him.

* * *

"So, which techniques should I teach you?" Salamander asked, "I have a lot of fire-based techniques, so I am not sure which one will be beneficial to you two…"

"C'mon, just teach us one of your strongest techniques!" Agumon remarked impatiently.

"That's also a problem," Salamander shook his head, "There is no such as strongest technique, because its strength still depends on your ability. Speaking of ability, both you have mastered Arid Heat, right?" he asked.

"Yes, that is true," V-mon answered.

"Then I will teach you some techniques that are associated with Arid Heat," Salamander remarked, "First, Agumon, come here! I will teach you how to cast Ignite Prison!"

"Ignite Prison?" Agumon asked, "What kind of technique is that?"

"Well, I am not good at explaining things, so it is better to demonstrate it," Gnome remarked, and then he began to chant using some weird language. At the end of his chant, he shouted, "O flames of hell, cremate mine enemies in a cage of fire, Ignite Prison!"

Without warning, a large orange glyph was formed in front of them. Soon, the glyph was engulfed by jets of flame fired from all side of the glyph, before it exploded.

"So, how about that?" Salamander asked, "Great, huh?"

"Wow, that's…great!" Agumon stated amazedly.

"Good then, I will teach it to you," Salamander nodded, and then he moved closer to Agumon.

Salamander's body glowed. At the same time, Agumon's body also glowed. Agumon could feel a surge of power entered his body. Also, a weird sensation filled his head. He seemed knew how to cast that spell now as if he had already known from the beginning. After awhile, both of them stopped glowing.

"Great, I think I have transferred Ignite Prison to you successfully!" Salamander smiled.

"Amazing, such…power," Agumon looked very amazed.

"Now, why don't you test it?" Salamander asked, "If you need a target, use me, because I can't be harmed by that spell. In addition, I can measure how strong you can release it!"

"OK then, here I go!" Agumon shouted, and then he began to chant like Salamander did before. After awhile, he shouted, "Cremate mine enemies in a gate of fire, Ignite Prison!"

A bright orange glyph then appeared below Salamander, and like before, several jets of fire stormed out from the glyph, and then exploded.

"Hmm, very good, Agumon!" Salamander congratulated the tiny dinosaur Digimon after the explosion cleared, "And it's also a strong one. I can't believe such power came out from a child Digimon!"

"Heheh, thanks Salamander!" Agumon couldn't help but grinned proudly.

"Try to master it, and maybe you can learn something different by your own!" Salamander remarked, "I feel that you have potential to do it!"

"Now you, V-mon…, hey, can you hear me!" Salamander waved his hand in front of V-mon, knowing that V-mon was spacing out while he taught Agumon.

"Hmm, do you need something?" V-mon asked innocently as he snapped out from his mind.

"Yeah, of course!" Salamander stated, "For you, I can feel that you already have some useful techniques, but they are currently dormant, so I just need to give you a little push to help you activating those techniques! Now, come closer!" he commanded V-mon.

"Now, I just need to transfer some of my power to you, and you should be able to activate your techniques!" Salamander continued, and then his body began to glow. Same as Agumon, V-mon's body also glowed at the same time.

"OK, finished!" Salamander remarked as both of them stopped glowing, "Now, try to demonstrate one of your techniques! Try casting Explode!" he added.

"Explode? How?" V-mon asked confusedly.

"Just concentrate!" Salamander commanded him, "You will remember how to do it! Believe me!"

Still confused, V-mon tried to concentrate. At first, he could not think anything, but as he continued to concentrate, he could feel the verse of that spell was running on his head.

'_Weird,' _V-mon thought, _'I've never remembered that I knew this verse. Well, in that case, I should try it!'_

So V-mon began to chant. At the end of his chanting, he shouted, "Bring all to ash and ruin! Explode!"

Following his command, a big fireball dropped from the sky to the place where Salamander stood. A big explosion followed as the fireball hit the ground, causing shockwave that send both Agumon and V-mon flying.

"Wow, that's great!" Agumon commented as he recovered from the shockwave, "I guess you should remind us later if you are going to cast that spell!"

V-mon couldn't say anything. He was so amazed that he could cast something powerful like that. No wonder the Millennium Lord was so obsessed to turn him into his servant.

"See, I told ya that ya will remember it!" Salamander grinned as he re-joined Agumon and V-mon, "That was very good, and a very strong one for a child level! Well, I expect no less from you though! Now, should we return to the others?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go!" Agumon shouted enthusiastically, while V-mon still couldn't say anything.

'_Is this really right for me to awaken such power?' _V-mon thought, _'This power, the power of destruction, is exactly what Millennium Lord wants from me, and now it has been awakened.'_

"V-mon!" Agumon shouted, making him jumped in surprise, "What are you doing! Let's go!"

"O-OK, let's go!" V-mon forced himself to smile, and both of them walked back to their partners.

* * *

_Takeru and Hikari…_

"Hikari, what's wrong with you?" Takeru asked Hikari as they sat together. Hikari had been very quiet since they defeated GigaSeadramon. Being the Child of Light, Hikari was very sensitive to the power of darkness, and even though they had defeated most of the Millennium Generals, the power of darkness seemed to grow even stronger.

"I'm okay," Hikari forced herself to smile.

"Well, you know that you are a bad liar, Hikari!" Takeru remarked, "Even though you are smiling, I can see that your whole body is trembling, and of course it's not a sign that you are okay, right?"

"Sorry about that, Takeru," Hikari remarked apologetically, "It's just…"

"No problem," Takeru smiled, "Just please don't lie to me, OK?"

"I can feel it…," Hikari closed her eyes, "A great power of darkness has moved."

"Oh yeah, I forget that you are very sensitive to the power of darkness," Takeru remarked gently.

"I can sense it…," Hikari's voice was trembled, "There is an evil presence somewhere! And it is growing stronger and stronger with every passing moment! It…it's scaring me!"

"It's okay! I am here, to protect you!" Takeru remarked. As he said that, he put his hand gently on Hikari's shoulder. Hikari was very surprised when Takeru did that, but at the same time, a warm feeling began to surround her. Seeing Takeru's gentle smile, she could feel that she was really safe, as long as Takeru was there with her.

"Thank you, Takeru," Hikari smiled, and now her smile was sincere, "I know that you will be here to support me. I am okay now!"

"I will always be on your side to protect you!" Takeru promised

"O-ok,!" Hikari's face blushed, and then they walked together to join the others back.

* * *

_Patamon…_

"Patamon, what are you doing here?" Tailmon asked as she saw Patamon surveying the surrounding cautiously.

"…Something doesn't feel right," Patamon shook his head, "I can't tell its location for sure, but I can feel that there is a source of dark power somewhere that keeps radiating its power, and it is ridiculously strong…"

"…Well, you can feel it because of your Reveal technique, right?" Tailmon asked.

"Yeah," Patamon replied, "At the beginning, I was very happy that finally I can do something useful for us, but…,"

"Yeah, I know, possessing the ability to see something that your normal eyes can't see is quite frightening, isn't it?" Tailmon stated.

"Yeah, you can say that…," Patamon smiled weakly, "But for the sake of everyone, I will do my best!"

"You know, Patamon, that determination of yours is what I like from you very much," Tailmon smiled. Patamon blushed madly.

"R-really?" Patamon asked nervously.

"Yeah, you always think everyone above yourself, and…," Tailmon's face blushed, "You are always very kind to me. I am really blessed to be able to meet you…"

"Tailmon…," Patamon wanted to say more, but Tailmon stopped him.

"Don't say anything now…," Tailmon whispered, and then she sat beside him.

"…You know, Tailmon, the presence I felt before made me really worried, but I don't know why, now I feel very happy…," Patamon remarked.

"Just don't worry about that, Patamon," Tailmon remarked gently, "We have protected this world twice. I am sure that we can protect it once more, together!"

"Yeah, you're right!" Patamon nodded in agreement, and then they walked back their partners.

'_Tailmon, maybe I still don't have courage to tell you, but I know for sure now, that I love you…,' _Patamon thought.

* * *

"Qinglongmon, we're ready now!" Taichi remarked as they regrouped once more.

"Yeah, we will do it for sure!" Agumon added.

"OK then, I will transport you to the Central Hemisphere!" Qinglongmon remarked, and with a burst of light, all the Chosen Children, along with their partners and the Elemental Spirits vanished.

"Ugh… Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Qinglongmon shook his head, "No, it couldn't be… Chosen Children, please be alright!" he whispered.

* * *

_Central Hemisphere, Sol Sanctum Entrance…_

With a bright light, the Chosen Children appeared near the entrance of Sol Sanctum. It seemed this time Qinglongmon transported them directly to the Sol Sanctum. Nothing had changed since last time they visited it, and it was terribly quiet there.

"So, this is the Sol Sanctum you guys have been talking about?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, supposedly Lord Huanglongmon hid the Light in this sanctum 1000 years ago, right after they sealed the Lord of Millennium," Undine explained.

"So we should be able to go inside now, right?" Daisuke remarked.

"Yes," Sylph nodded, "Our power should be sufficient to open the sanctum!"

"Then, what are we waiting for? Let's do it!" Miyako stated enthusiastically.

"…Wait a minute!" Suddenly Patamon stepped in as he began to inspect the surrounding, "Something doesn't feel right in here!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Hawkmon asked, "I couldn't feel anything."

"This presence… Now I am sure, this is what I feel back in the Dragon's Gate!" Patamon shouted.

"No…is this the dark energy source you've talked about!" Tailmon gasped, "Ah, Hikari, are you okay!" She remarked anxiously as she saw her partner almost fainted. However, Takeru was quick enough to catch her.

"Hikari… don't tell me, you also feel that evil presence!" Takeru asked anxiously.

"No… don't get near me!" Hikari cried hysterically, "Go…go away!"

"Careful everyone!" Patamon remarked cautiously, "I can feel it! Its presence is even stronger than Demon!"

"…No, it can't be!" V-mon shook his head, "…Millenniumon!"

"I am impressed that you could feel my presence…," Suddenly a shady creature materialized in the sky. This creature had an appearance like Chimeramon, with strange dragon aura covered his back. A pair of Mugendramon's cannons was also installed in his back, making his appearance even eerier.

"I thought I could hide in the dimension rift to ambush you, but I guess I have underestimated you…," his voice, although sounded very calm, was able to send chill to everyone who heard it.

"…No way!" Ken's eyes widened, "Ryo should have destroyed you!"

"…Again, that was another Millenniumon…," Millenniumon smiled evilly, "Now, you know what I want from you! Hand over that Digimon!" he pointed directly to V-mon.

"I…," V-mon tried to say something, but he couldn't do it.

"Like the hell we'll do that!" Taichi shouted, "Everyone, get ready!"

"V-mon, please stay back!" Agumon remarked as he prepared himself, "We will protect you! We won't make the same mistake again!"

"But…," V-mon protested.

"No 'buts', you don't want to be captured, right?" Agumon reassured him.

"Yes, but…," V-mon tried to protest again, but he was interrupted by Agumon.

"…Then stay back! We don't know what kind of dirty tricks Milleniumon have prepared!" Agumon stated.

"Yeah, we won't let him capture you!" Wormmon smiled, "So please do as Agumon told you!"

V-mon nodded and retreated while the others prepared themselves to fight.

"We'll help too!" Salamander, Undine, Gnome, and Sylph shouted in unison.

"Such fools…" Millenniumon remarked coldly, "Do you really think you can defeat me?"

"We will do it for sure!" Yamato responded, "We will make you pay for everything you have done!"

"My, how scary! The weak grow overconfident when they come in herds," Millenniumon mocked.

"Shut the hell up, will ya!" Taichi shouted angrily, "Agumon, let's teach this guy a lesson he will never forget!"

"Got it!" Agumon responded.

"We will not lose!" the others followed.

"My, my, how interesting, but I don't have time to play with you weaklings!" Millenniumon mocked them, and then he began to chant something.

"Everyone, evolve now!" Taichi commanded as he raised his Digivice. The others followed him.

"Too late…," Millenniumon remarked coldly, "…Feel the first beats of time, Big Bang!"

At sudden, the sky turned black, and right after that, streams of energy started flowing, forming a huge white sphere, before it detonated in a massive explosion. After the light faded, all the Chosen Digimon were lying unconscious (excluding V-mon, which was not fighting). The four Spirit could still stand; however, they obviously were not in a good condition to fight.

"Ugh…, we haven't done yet!" Salamander grunted in pain.

"We will do everything to defeat this guy!" Undine added.

"For the sake of this world…," Gnome shouted.

"…We will not lose!" Sylph responded.

"…You children never shut up! Fall before me and cry out in pain! Farewell, Time Unlimited!" Millenniumon shouted, firing a huge black orb from his mouth. The black orb hit all the Spirits before they had any chance to act, trapping them inside as the result.

"…Now, let's end this!" Millenniumon smiled maliciously as he saw the all of them writhing in pain inside the dimension he created, "Dimension-"

"Please stop it…," Suddenly V-mon stepped to the front.

"V-mon, what are you doing!" Daisuke asked anxiously.

"…Please, stop it! Stop hurting my friends!" V-mon pleaded; tear was flowing from both his eyes, "I…I'll go with you, so please…please stop hurting my friends!"

Millenniumon thought for awhile, and then he finally responded, "…Fine, you surrender obediently to me, and I will spare them!"

All the Chosen Children were shocked hearing V-mon's words. They never thought that V-mon would surrender himself to Millenniumon obediently like that.

"V-mon! No!" Daisuke tried to run to his partner, but Ken held him down.

"Daisuke, don't!" Ken shouted, "There's no telling what Millenniumon will do to you if you go there!"

"Ken, thanks!" V-mon closed his eyes.

"Is there no other ways?" Taichi asked helplessly, "We've come this far, we will not surrender that easily!"

"No, if we keep fighting, you will die for sure…," V-mon shook his head, "I can't let that happen, so…so, I will do what he say…"

"But what if he lies?" Daisuke yelled, "V-mon, please come back!"

"…My mission here is just to capture V-mon, so if he surrenders himself obediently, I will not harm you anymore!" Millenniumon remarked coldly.

"…Then if you promise you won't do it, I'll follow you obediently!" V-mon shouted.

"…As you wish!" Millenniumon stated, and then he chanted something. After awhile, the black orb that encased the four Spirits disappeared, releasing all of them. In exchange, a black, spherical ball trapped V-mon, and then Millenniumon levitated it to his side.

"…Everyone, I am sorry," V-mon whispered, and right after that, both he and Millenniumon disappeared.

* * *

"V-mon… No!" Daisuke cried hysterically.

Takeru picked up his partner, still unconscious, "…Patamon, are you OK?" he asked anxiously, but his partner didn't answer.

"They suffered severe injuries from that technique," Salamander remarked as he got back on his feet, "I must say that they are really lucky that Big Bang didn't manage to delete them all. That Big Bang… it even has power to delete entire areas!"

"Do you mean that they are going to die?" Taichi shouted angrily as he examined Agumon, who, like Patamon and the others, was lying unconscious.

"…Yes if they are left untreated," Undine remarked, "But don't worry, if we Spirits combine our power together, we can save them all."

"…We are still badly injured as well, but I think it should work!" Sylph nodded, "Now let's do it!"

After saying that, the four Spirits focused their power. Pillars of yellow, green, red, and blue light emanated from them, and then merged into one massive pillar of light.

"Everyone, let's do it!" Gnome shouted.

"…Guide these poor souls so they may raise anew, Regenerate!" All of they shouted in unison, and soon the light covered all the Chosen Children and their partners. They could feel a warm feeling emanated from the light.

"…This feeling, it's the same as when you healed V-mon back there!" Daisuke commented, "Ugh, V-mon…," he tried so hard not to cry as remembering his partner just brought pain to him.

"Ugh…," Agumon grunted.

"Agumon!" Taichi shouted, and slowly, Agumon opened his eyes.

"…Taichi," Agumon remarked weakly, and after that all the Chosen Digimon, one by one, regained their consciousness.

"…Thank God!" Iori cried as he hugged Armadimon, "I thought you were gonna die!"

"I am sorry to make you worry, dagyaa," Armadimon tried to console his partner.

"Takeru, I am sorry…," Patamon remarked apologetically, "If only I was stronger…"

"This is not your fault, buddy," Takeru smiled, "We will rescue V-mon and defeat him for sure!"

"Well, thank you for your help, again," Ken bowed a little to the Spirits, "We are truly indebted to you all."

"No problem," Sylph replied, "However, because we didn't do it at our full power, we couldn't restore them to their best condition, so I think they need to rest for awhile."

"Also, our strength is drained after healing all of you, so we need to recover some of our strength before we can open the sanctum for you," Undine added.

"Well then, I guess we don't have any other choices," Taichi sighed, "Everyone, let's take a rest for today!"

"But if we don't hurry, V-mon would be…," Daisuke protested.

"…Even so, our partners are still injured, and the four Spirit need some time to recover their strength, so like Taichi said, we really don't have any other choices," Yamato stated.

"He's right," Gnome nodded, "If you want, maybe we can open the sanctum now, but of course, it will drain all of our strength, and we will no longer able to maintain our physical shapes. That's okay for us, though, but we are concerned about what will happen next. Since your partners are still weak, you will endanger yourselves by entering the sanctum now."

"…Ugh, I understand…," Daisuke gritted his teeth.

"…Daisuke, I understand your concern about V-mon," Ken patted his shoulder, "However, acting recklessly will not achieve anything…"

"…Don't worry, Daisuke," Patamon remarked, "V-mon is strong; I'm sure the Lord of Millennium can't easily turn him into his slave!"

"Yeah, from now on, we can just believe in him!" Jou added, "He sacrificed himself to save all of us. If we act recklessly and getting killed because of that, his sacrifice will be wasted."

Finally, Daisuke nodded, although a bit unwillingly. He still wanted to rescue V-mon immediately, however, all of his friends were right; acting recklessly would not achieve anything, except death.

"Good then, let's take a rest!" Taichi remarked.

* * *

_Sol Sanctum Entrance, Nighttime…_

Agumon was ready to go to sleep. He was very tired today. Also, his injury hadn't fully recovered. However, as he was about to sleep, he overheard voices from the back of him. He recognized them as the Spirits. It seemed that they were discussing something. Driven by curiosity, Agumon decided to overhear them.

"This is really bad," Agumon heard the voice he recognized as Sylph's voice, "Lord Qinglongmon told us that everything should be okay, but to think that Millenniumon would show up here…"

"More importantly, the enemies now have advantages over us," Gnome added, "With V-mon at their hands; I can't imagine what will happen next."

"Just hope that V-mon can resist it! We don't need another Doomdramon roaming and causing chaos like 1000 years ago!" Salamander retorted, "Damn it, why our masters are so damn ignorant like this? Didn't they realize that this definitely will happen if that Millenniumon is awakened?"

'_Doomdramon, who or what is that?' _Agumon thought as he heard their conversation, _'I've never heard any Digimon with that name.'_

"More importantly, it seems that every enemy now has access to a lot of dangerous arcane magic. Do you think their partners can handle this?" Undine asked.

"…You're right, especially that Big Bang, no one can escape once it has been initiated," Gnome nodded in agreement, "So are you thinking what I am thinking now?"

"I guess so," Sylph remarked, "It seems that we really need to do **that**! Lord Huanglongmon ordered us not to do so, but I think we don't have any other choice…"

"Oh, c'mon, we can't just follow order from someone who isn't present anymore!" Salamander retorted, "The future of this Digital World is now resting in those children, and it is our duty to assist them as far as we can!"

"OK then, so we agree to do it!" Undine concluded, and all of them nodded, "But do you realize the effect of doing that?"

"Yes, I am aware very much," Gnome remarked, "Doing that require a significant amount of power, and it will definitely sap all our strength that we will turn into lesser spirits until we can gather our power again."

"Well, I don't mind at all," Sylph responded, "As long as our duty has been accomplished, I have no regret doing that!"

"Neither do I," Salamander added, "As long as we can assist them, I have no regret!"

"Well then, we need to gather every bit of our strength, so let's get some rest!" Gnome closed their conversation, and then all of them left.

'_What the meaning of this?' _Agumon thought, _'They need to do what? Turn into lesser spirits? I don't understand at all…'_

"Well, Agumon, you know that eavesdropping the others is not good…," Agumon jumped in surprised. Right behind him was Patamon.

"Patamon, must you surprise me like that!" Agumon asked as he panted, "You scared me to death!"

"Oh, I am sorry," Patamon remarked apologetically, "So, what do you think about that?"

"Well, you call me an eavesdropper while you yourself actually eavesdropped what they were talking about…," Agumon stated sarcastically, and then both of them burst into laughter.

"…Back to the business, just what are they planning about?" Agumon asked as they stopped laughing, "And what is Doomdramon anyway? I've never heard about it."

"…Doomdramon, hmm, that name seems familiar," Patamon tilted his head, "I will ask Tailmon and the others to confirm about that later," he added, "About 'that' business they were talking about however, I don't any idea."

"Yeah, they kept talking about 'it', but they didn't mention what is 'it'. More importantly, judging from their conversation, it seems that our enemies are really beyond our level of power," Agumon scratched his head, "I wonder if I can continue to protect Taichi like that…"

"Don't worry, Agumon," Patamon patted the orange dinosaur's shoulder, "As long as we have hope, I'm sure that we can do it!"

"Yeah, I am sorry I act like that," Agumon stated apologetically, "This kinda reminds me of when we struggled to defeat the Dark Masters. When we thought everything seemed impossible, miracles did happen."

"Yes, and we will do it again this time!" Patamon remarked cheerily, "We will save V-mon and defeat them all for sure!"

"Then, let's get some rest!" Agumon remarked, and both of them went to sleep.

**To be continued...**


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** Here goes chapter 19! Thank you for Lord Pata and Frozen Twins that have reviewed the last chapter! Your feedbacks are greatly appreciated!

Also, thanks to ARCtheElite for his effort to beta read this, I really appreciate it!

Disclaimer: Digimon is the property of Toei Animation. Also, some parts of this story may contain references to some animes or games. They are the properties of their respective owners.

OK, disclaimer finished! Please share your thought about this story via reviews! All feedbacks are greatly appreciated!

* * *

**Chapter 19 – Sanctum of The Sun**

_Dark Area, Millennium Castle…_

With a flash of purple light, Millenniumon appeared in the Millennium Castle. V-mon was with him as well, still encased in the black sphere.

"Well, I expect no less from you, Millenniumon!" a cold voice echoed. It was the Lord of Millennium.

"Hmph, it was very easy," Millenniumon retorted, "I didn't even have to use half of my power to defeat the Chosen Children. This child gave himself up in exchange of his friends' life," Millenniumon looked at the unconscious blue dragon inside the black sphere.

"How noble and how stupid, he hadn't changed at all after 1000 years," The Lord of Millennium remarked coldly, "Now, it's time for my revenge! With him as my slave, I will destroy the Guardians and bring apocalypse to this world!" he laughed maliciously.

The Lord of Millennium then chanted something. The purple curse seal in V-mon's body glowed as he continued to chant. However, after a few moments, it dimmed out.

"He resisted?" Millenniumon twitched his eyes as he examined V-mon.

"Hmph, I have expected this as well," The Lord of Millennium retorted, "It seems that he has learned something to resist the growth of the curse seal."

"Then it is no use trying to control him," Millenniumon remarked coldly, "Without the full growth of the curse seal, you can't control him."

"You think so?" the Lord of Millennium sneered evilly, "Although it seems that he has developed resistance to resist the curse seal's growth, however, with a little torture and provocation, resistance can be broken…"

"So you think you can provoke him?" Millenniumon asked with the same cold voice.

"I know a dark secret about him," the Lord of Millennium remarked coldly, "No matter how hard he tries to resist, in the end, he will become my slave!" He laughed maliciously again.

* * *

_Central Quadrant, Sol Sanctum Entrance…_

Morning had arrived in the Sol Sanctum, and all the Chosen Children and their partners were awake and refreshed. They were eager to retrieve the Light as fast as possible, and hopefully, they could save V-mon before it was too late.

"Morning, Agumon, how do you feel today?" Taichi asked his partner.

"Better than yesterday," Agumon replied, "Even though I can still some pain in my body, I am ready to fight anytime!" he added.

"Good, but just don't push yourself too far…," Taichi smiled.

"I will do anything to save V-mon!" Patamon told Takeru, "He is my best friend, and I won't let that Lord of Millennium turning him into his slave!"

"We will save him for sure!" Takeru replied, "Everyone will do their best, right?"

"Yeah, we won't lose anymore!" Tailmon added.

"Together, we can do it!" Wormmon remarked.

"For the sake of V-mon and this world, we will do everything, dagyaa!" Armadimon shouted.

"Great, as soon as the Spirits are ready, we will enter the sanctum!" Yamato remarked, "There is no turning back now!"

"If you are talking about us, we are ready!" the Chosen Children turned to see Sylph, Gnome, Salamander, and Undine stood there.

"Great! Then let's do it!" Taichi shouted.

"Please lead us to the altar!" Gnome remarked, "As soon as we channel our power into the glyph, the door to the sanctum will be opened!"

"OK, the glyph is located in there!" Koushirou pointed the altar near the door.

"Then, everyone, are you ready?" Salamander asked, and all of them nodded. As soon as they arrived on the glyph, all the Spirits took their positions in their own respective elements. The glyph then glowed as the symbol of bird, human, fish, and dragon glowed brightly.

"Let's do it!" Undine shouted.

"We, the Four Great Spirits, command thee to open thy way to heaven! These souls have proven their worthiness; let no doors be their barrier anymore!" they shouted in unison, and with a loud noise, the door of the sanctum was opened.

"Did you do it?" Jou asked, and all the Spirits nodded.

"With this, you can freely enter the sanctum!" Sylph remarked, "Be careful though, as this also will awaken the Guardians of this sanctum!"

"Great then, what are we waiting anymore? Let's go inside!" Taichi shouted.

"Wait a minute!" Gnome shouted.

"Do you still need something from us?" Ken asked.

"Yeah, we have discussed about this yesterday night, and we have agreed that we should do something to further aid you!" Undine explained.

"Your enemies are getting more and more dangerous. They know something that we called arcane techniques. Those techniques are very dangerous if you are not prepared to face them!" Salamander added.

"So that is the name from those alien techniques that our enemies kept using?" Gomamon asked, and all the Spirits nodded.

"That is correct," Gnome answered, "So, to further aid you, we will channel all of our remaining power to you! It will break the ancient seal placed on all of you!"

"Break the ancient seal? What do you mean?" Koushirou asked.

"It means that in the beginning, all the Digimon possessed the ability to use the arcane magic or techniques. However, because of the rebellion of the Lord of Millennium 1000 years ago, Huanglongmon decided that it was not safe anymore to let ordinary Digimon possess them, so he placed the arcane seal on every Digimon back there," Undine explained.

"Those techniques are still usable by us Spirits, and by all the Millennium Generals, however," Gnome added, "So, to get even with them, we decided to awaken those techniques on you!"

"We are going against the Guardians' will, but we can't just do everything they tell us anymore! You are this world's only hope, and for that, we will do anything to aid you!" Salamander shouted.

"We believe that you will not misuse these powerful techniques for evil, so we will do it!" Sylph smiled.

"But you said you will use all of your power…," Hikari asked, "Then, all of you will…"

"…Disappear, yes, we will," Undine replied, "However, we have agreed that if we must do it, we will do it!"

"Is there no other way?" Iori asked, "I mean, we are friends! There's no way we will let you disappear just for that!"

"Yeah, you have saved us many times! There's no way we could let that happen!" Agumon added.

"I am glad that you regard us as your friends," Gnome smiled, "Actually, this is the first time that someone regards us as their friends. However, I see no other way to do it, so I guess this will be our farewell…"

"Yeah, don't worry about us!" Undine reassured them, "If you can use this new power to save this world, we have no regret at all!"

"So, there's really no other way, dagyaa…," Armadimon's ears' dropped sadly.

"Do we really need this power so badly that we have to sacrifice our friends' lives?" Hawkmon added.

"Like Undine said before, we have no regret at all, as long as we can aid you to save this world!" Salamander remarked.

"Hey, I'm sure we will meet again in the future, so don't worry about it, OK?" Sylph added.

Although deep in their heart, they were still against this, the Chosen Children and their partners finally agreed to let the Spirits to channel their strength to them.

"Great, then let's begin the process!" Salamander shouted. After he said that, they began to concentrate. Soon, beams of green, yellow, red, and blue emanated from them. Those beams merged into one column of light, and then it began to bathe the Chosen Children and their partners.

The Spirits began to chant, "Almighty power, in the name of Great Spirits, we command thee, break the seal that imprison the true power of these souls!" After awhile, the light that bathed the Chosen Children and their partners dimmed. In the same time, the Spirits' body began to disintegrate.

"All of you, thank you!" Iori bowed, "We will not forget your good deeds!"

"Thank us later when you have saved your friend and this world!" Gnome shouted.

"Yeah, don't worry about us," Sylph added, "Just do whatever you have to do!"

"Farewell, children of destiny, we are honored to have worked with you!" Undine bowed a little.

"Go and save this world! If anyone can, it's you!" Salamander encouraged them, and with that, all of the Spirits fully disintegrated.

"They are gone…," Wallace remarked.

"Another sacrifice…," Mimi whispered sadly, "Why do we have to sacrifice someone every time we save this world!"

"Well, in that case, we can't let their sacrifice go for naught," Taichi shouted, "Let's go!"

"By the way, what are you two holding, Yamato-san, Sora-san?" Koushirou asked as he saw Sora and Yamato each holding a rainbow-colored orb.

"I don't know for sure, but this orb appeared after they gave up their power!" Yamato remarked.

"I also don't know, but I have a feeling that these orbs are their gifts for our partners," Sora added.

"…Oh yeah, I'm sorry, I forget that Piyomon and Gabumon are still held prisoners," Koushirou scratched his head.

"Hmm, I heard from Qinglongmon that Gennai, Coronamon, and Lunamon are trying to rescue them!" Jou remarked, "I think they should have rescued them by now!"

"Well, speaking of the devils, isn't that them?" Gomamon pointed at two creatures that walked in their direction. It seemed that Gomamon was right. Coronamon and Lunamon were walking to their direction as they talked.

"Only the two of them?" Terriermon asked, "Didn't they go with Gennai?"

"Also, they should have rescued Gabumon and Piyomon…," Sora remarked, "Don't tell me that…"

"No, it's too early to judge that there is something happen to them," Taichi put his hand at Sora's shoulder, "For now on, let's ask them what has happened!"

"Oh, there you are, Chosen Children!" Coronamon shouted as they approached the Chosen Children, "We were afraid that we couldn't catch up with you!"

"Well, thank goodness that you still haven't entered the Sanctum! There is something that we want to ask you!" Lunamon added.

"…Save it for later! First of all, where is Gabumon and Piyomon? I heard that it is your job to rescue them!" Yamato intercepted them.

"Well, yes, that is our mission, but…," Lunamon replied.

"Then where are they?" Yamato yelled impatiently.

"Hey, don't yell like that to my sister!" Coronamon remarked irritably, "Fine then, I will explain everything!"

Then Coronamon and Lunamon began to explain about their attempt to rescue Gabumon and Piyomon. They told the Chosen Children how the Reaper intercepted their works and ended up injured both of them.

"…So, in the end, you don't know what happen to them?" Yamato asked.

"…Yeah, it's really a shame for us to admit it, but it is correct," Coronamon replied.

"And what about Gennai?" Sora asked.

"We don't know as he sacrificed himself to save us back there, so most likely he…," Lunamon couldn't continue her explanation.

"…is already dead," Coronamon finished, "According to rumors, nothing could escape alive from the Prophecy of Doom."

"The Reaper is really a formidable opponent, and we didn't have a chance to activate our Divine Skills in order to protect us from it," Lunamon remarked.

"Divine Skill? What is that?" Koushirou asked.

"Well, it's really difficult to explain it, but it is really strong," Lunamon stated, "It's like our signature skills, but stronger…"

"Speaking of which, your explanation about how you were wiped out by some explosive technique is quite similar with us," Koushirou commented.

"What do you mean?" Coronamon asked.

"You told us that the Reaper you kept talking about used some kind of explosive magic to you, right?" Koushirou asked.

"Yeah, that's correct!" Lunamon replied, "From what I remember, it called multiple streams of energy, and then it detonated it into massive explosion."

"Then it's the same technique that Millenniumon used to our partners!" Jou exclaimed, "It's called Big Bang!"

"Millenniumon? So that kid's dream is true at all…," Coronamon muttered.

"What do you mean?" Daisuke asked anxiously.

"Isn't that obvious? I mean…, hey, come to think about it, I haven't seen him since we arrived here!" Coronamon tilted his head, rather surprised that he didn't see that blue brat he was talking about.

"Does it mean that you decided to follow our advice and let him stay with Qinglongmon?" Lunamon asked.

The Chosen Children and their partners looked at each other without saying anything. Silence for awhile, until Coronamon began to speak again.

"…Don't tell me, that he was captured?" Coronamon's whispered dangerously.

A long silence followed again after he said that, until Wormmon nodded timidly.

"What are you doing anyway? Letting him to be captured just doomed our entire world, don't you understand that?" Coronamon yelled angrily.

"Hey, don't say things like that!" Patamon yelled back, "I'm sure that V-mon can resist it just fine! I believe in him!"

"Yeah, he sacrificed himself to save all of us!" Tentomon added, "If it wasn't him, we would be dead by now!"

"That's why we suggested that it would be better if he stayed back there!" Coronamon yelled back, "Without him, Millenniumon will not show up here!"

"But we didn't know that it would be Millenniumon who would show up," Ken protested, "If we knew, maybe we would ask him and Daisuke to stay behind."

"That kid…didn't tell you anything about Millenniumon?" Coronamon slapped his forehead in frustration.

"…Do you mean that V-mon has already known about the Millenniumon from the beginning?" Yamato asked.

"Of course! Where do you think we learned about his existence?" Coronamon asked in frustration, "…Don't tell me that even Qinglongmon didn't tell you about this danger?"

"Nope, Qinglongmon didn't tell us anything," Takeru replied.

"Argh, this is crazy! Why are my masters so ignorant like this?" Coronamon yelled in frustration, "First Baihumon, and then Qinglongmon… don't they know that this would lead to chaos and destruction like 1000 years ago if he is awakened?"

"He? Who are you talking about anyway?" Wormmon asked.

"You don't remember anything at all? About the havoc caused by Doomdramon 1000 years ago?" Coronamon asked in disbelief.

"Doomdramon? What or who is that?" Agumon asked, "I heard the Spirits talked about it last night, but they didn't mention what was that."

"Hey! I remember now!" Patamon shouted, "Doomdramon is one of V-mon's possible evolution, and one of the strongest too."

"Yes!" Coronamon shouted, "So you are telling me that you don't know the reason why that annoying Lord of Millennium wants him so bad!"

"…Well," Patamon remarked, "Yesterday the Spirits mentioned about him, and later I confirmed with Tailmon about this; it is true after all!"

"…But that's impossible!" Ken protested, "From my previous research about his evolution, I didn't see Doomdramon as the option!"

"Of course not, if you just count him alone," Coronamon answered sarcastically, "That evil dragon is the fusion evolution of three Digimon with V-mon as its core!"

"…Three Digimon? Then, don't tell me that's why he did kidnap Piyomon and Gabumon?" Jou guessed.

"That's what we think too," Coronamon nodded.

"Then why didn't you rescue them immediately, and instead, coming all the way to here!" Yamato spat, "Their lives are in danger now!"

"Kids, listen carefully, if we can do that alone, we would have rescued them from the beginning!" Coronamon spat back in anger, "However, like you see now, we need your help, otherwise, we don't even have a slightest idea of coming here!"

"Enough of this!" Lunamon, who kept silent from the beginning shouted, "Like it or not, we can't reverse what has already happened. For now on, we need to combine our power to rescue them all!"

"…But," Coronamon tried to protest, but his sister glared dangerously on him, leaving him with no choice other than to shut his mouth.

"…She's right," Hikari remarked, "Time is running out as we speak now. For now on, let's combine our power! We need to put an end to this!"

"Yeah, Hikari-chan is right!" Takeru added, "Let's go inside now!"

"Right, let's go!" Miyako added enthusiastically.

In the back, Sora was kept silent, especially after hearing that her partner could be in grave danger. She felt very helpless now that she couldn't do something to rescue her partner. Knowing this, Taichi went to her side and gently put his hand in her shoulder.

"Don't worry Sora, I'm sure that she will be alright! Now that our partners are getting stronger, there's nothing we should afraid of!" Taichi remarked gently.

"…Thank you, Taichi, for always encouraging me," Sora remarked; she blushed a bit, "Yeah, you are right, we can't give up! We have to rescue them all."

"Yeah, and we will do it for sure!" Taichi added.

"Thank you Taichi!" Sora smiled, and her smile was sincere now. Seeing this, Taichi blushed a little. Until now, he didn't realize that she was so sweet when she smiled like that.

"D-don't mention it!" Taichi replied, now he blushed madly, "L-let's go now!"

"OK then, but are you sure you are alright?" Sora asked, "I see your face is red now…"

"Waa, no, no, it's alright, let's go now!" Taichi remarked panicky.

"OK then, but be sure to tell me if you are not feeling good!" Sora smiled again.

"O-ok!" Taichi answered, still blushing.

* * *

_Sol Inner Sanctum, Entrance Hall…_

At the first sight, the Sol Sanctum was like the other sanctum where the Chosen Children retrieved the four Spirits. The eight crests of virtue were painted in the each pillar in that room, each with its respective elements. In the middle of the room, there was a teleport device that had already been activated. Other than that, the room was empty.

"Well, it seems that we don't have any other choice than to take that teleport device," Koushirou remarked as he scanned the room, "By the way, Patamon, try to use your Reveal! Maybe there's something hidden here!"

"Sure thing!" Patamon replied enthusiastically, "OK, here I go!" he shouted, and then began to concentrate. His vision immediately changed into black and white. He then began to examine his surroundings. It seemed that Koushirou was right, there was nothing here.

"Did you find something?" Takeru asked.

"Nothing, I think," Patamon shook his head.

"Well then, let's take the teleport device!" Taichi shouted. With a blinding flash of light, they vanished.

* * *

_Sol Inner Sanctum, Aquarius Hall…_

"…So, this is the second floor, huh?" Taichi asked as they arrived in the next room. This room has only one door, and like in the Aqua Temple, the door was submerged in the water. However, unlike the Aqua Temple, there were several streams of water flowing from and to the pond. In the other part of the room, there was a purple stone like the one in the Zephyr Tower with some strange devices, but they currently were inactive.

"…Is that the only way we can go through?" Yamato asked.

"Yeah, so it seems," Koushirou replied as he scanned the surroundings.

"Well then, leave it to me!" Agumon shouted, "With Arid Heat, I can drain the water from this pond!"

"OK, go for it, Agumon!" Taichi encouraged his partner.

"Hold it!" Lunamon shouted, "Before you drain the water, shouldn't you do something with the water flow?" she pointed the flowing water to and from the pond.

"Oh yeah, I forgot, we should stop it, of course," Jou slapped his head, "Why didn't I think about that?"

"Then what should we do to stop the water flow?" Mimi asked.

"Hmm, let's see… I think we can stop the water flow using that device," Ken remarked, pointing at the strange device near the purple stone, "That device seems like the ones that controlling the valve in the dam."

"So, what are we waiting for? Let's do it!" Taichi shouted.

"We need to activate it first though," Koushirou stated as he scanned the strange device, "I think it needs some electricity to activate it."

"Should I try to do it, Koushirou-han?" Tentomon asked.

"I can help too if you want," Betamon added.

"Err, the problem is I don't know whether this device will be okay or not if we try to electrocute it," Koushirou scratched his head.

"Hmm, this stone is quite familiar…," Patamon muttered slowly as he examined the purple stone beside it, "I bet I have seen this kind of stone somewhere."

"Hmm, if I remember it correctly, we saw it in the Zephyr Tower, right?" Hawkmon reminded Patamon.

"Of course it is!" Patamon shouted, "Everyone, I think we can generate some electricity by using this stone!"

"Hey, Patamon is right!" Tentomon nodded, "I remember I generated electricity by electrocuting this kind of stone!"

"Brilliant idea, Patamon, Tentomon!" Koushirou praised both of them.

"I will help too!" Betamon shouted, "Let's do it together, Tentomon!"

"Got it! Petit Thunder!" Tentomon shouted.

"Electro Shocker!" Betamon followed, and the stream of electric from the two digimon merged, electrocuting the purple stone. The purple stone glowed and struck a generator-like device beside with a bolt of lightning. The room lit up as the device came to life. Taking his cue, Ken reached over and pulled the lever on device and the water slowed to a trickle.

"Agumon, now you can do it!" Patamon remarked.

"OK, here I go! Arid Heat!" Agumon shouted. Following his command, streams of heat waves appeared and drained all the water in the pond.

"Great, now let's go!" Taichi shouted, and then they entered the pond.

"…Just as I guessed, the door is locked," Koushirou muttered as he scanned the door.

"Then let me do it!" Patamon remarked enthusiastically, "I will use Reveal!"

"Good idea, Pata-kun! C'mon you can do it!" Tailmon stated. Patamon blushed.

"OK, here I go!" Patamon shouted. After a brief moment, Patamon's sight turned into black and white, and just as he guessed, there was a hidden lever in there.

'_Great, I bet this will open the door!'_ Patamon thought, and then he pressed the lever.

With a loud creak, the door opened, revealing a second room. The room itself is quite big with another door in the opposite side, and it was divided into two parts. One part, which was almost empty, led them to the next door, and the other part was filled with holes and big rocks with a big statue-like object and a switch.

"What-the-hell-is-this?" Taichi sweatdropped as he observed the weird configuration of this room.

"It seems that switch is the key to open the door in the opposite," Koushirou pointed to the switch in the other part of the room.

"So we just need to go over there and push it-," Agumon shouted as he ran to the other part.

"Agumon, look out! There is an-," Patamon tried to warn Agumon, but he was too late, because Agumon has collided with the invisible wall that separated the two parts of the room.

"Agumon, are you okay!" Taichi asked as he approached his partner.

"I am okay, just a little dizzy," the orange dinosaur replied.

"So, how do we activate the switch if we can't enter there?" Miyako asked.

"Hmm, let's see," Ken remarked as he stepped to the front. As he moved, the statue in the other part of the room also moved, and it moved exactly as he did.

"…Hey, it is just me or do you see that statue moved?" Coronamon asked.

"…I see it moved!" Wallace stated, "And its movement is the same as Ken's movement!"

"Really?" Ken asked, and then he moved again. Following his action, the statue also moved again.

"The statue moved as if it mirrored Ken's movement," Jou commented.

"…That's it!" Yamato shouted, "We can use it to press the switch to open the door!"

"Great idea, onii-chan!" Takeru remarked.

"However, there's a lot of holes and rocks that can hinder the statue's movement, so, Ken, wait a minute while I scanned the best route for it," Koushirou stated.

"There's no need for that, Koushirou-senpai," Ken remarked confidently, "This is just like a game. Just give me a second and I will figure out how to get the statue to the switch safely!"

"…Game? O-okay," Koushirou sweatdropped.

"OK, get it!" Ken grinned confidently, "Here I go!"

The other Chosen Children were amazed as they saw Ken moved the statue gracefully to avoid all the holes and big rocks in its way. In less than five minutes, the statue arrived safely in the switch, and with a click, the door opened.

"See, very easy," Ken remarked lightly while the others sweatdropped.

"I guess you really are a genius, Ken," Takeru commented, "I don't have a clue what you just did."

"Yeah, I hate this kind of riddle," Iori muttered lightly.

"Well, at least the door has opened," Taichi stated, "Let's go inside!"

Behind that door, there was only a lone teleport device, and it was already activated. Seeing no other way, they took the teleport device and with a flash, they vanished.

* * *

_Sol Inner Sanctum, ?…_

"Well, well, it seems that we have some visitors here," a figure remarked.

"Quite interesting, given that we haven't had visitors for nearly 1000 years," the other figure smirked.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's 'entertain' them!" the first figure remarked enthusiastically, and then they moved.

* * *

_Sol Inner Sanctum, Ouroboros Path…_

With a flash of light, they appeared in a small room shrouded with fog. In the middle of the room, there was a tiny plant. Four exits adorned the room.

"Oh, here we go again," Koushirou remarked, "I think this one is the same as the Gaia Rock."

"So you guys have figured out how to escape from here?" Lunamon asked.

"Yes, of course, the key point of this riddle is THIS!" Wormmon pointed at the small plant in the middle of the room, "We just need to make it grow, and it will point out the right path."

"Really? I have never heard smart plant like that," Coronamon remarked skeptically.

"Well then, I guess it's better to show you," Wormmon stated, and then he touched the plant gently. Just as he expected, the plant grew and became an arrow, pointed to the east.

"See, I told you so!" Wormmon remarked proudly while Coronamon jawdropped.

"Well, enough of this chit-chat, let's go!" Agumon shouted, and all of them nodded in agreement.

So they moved from one room to another with Wormmon's aid. Like before, the arrows never pointed to the north.

"Well, we are nearly done here!" Wormmon remarked as he grew the other plant, and this time, the plant pointed to the north.

"How can you be sure about this?" Lunamon asked.

"Do you observe that the arrows have never pointed to the north before?" Gomamon asked.

"Yeah, I think it was like that," Lunamon tried to remember all the paths they have walked before.

"So it means this one is special!" Tailmon explained, "My guess is that this will lead to another teleport device."

"OK, I think I get it!" Lunamon nodded, although she still seemed unsure.

So they all moved to the north exit, and they found themselves in the room with two teleport devices, both were inactive. A big purple stone stood between them.

"So this time we need to activate the teleport device, right?" Michael asked.

"So it seems," Koushirou asked, "So then, Tentomon, Betamon, you know what should you do!"

"Got it!" both of them answered, and like before, they fired their signature techniques to the purple stone. The stream of electricity once again merged and electrocuted the stone. The purple stone reacted by releasing two thunderbolts, activating them in process.

"Good, now which one should we choose?" Miyako asked.

"Why don't we try both?" Gomamon joked, only to receive a slap from Tailmon.

"I think I have already told you before right?" Tailmon waved her paws dangerously, "This is not a good time to crack some lame jokes like that!" she yelled at him.

"Hmm, this is interesting…," Ken stated as he observed the pictures painted beside each teleport device. One featured a dragon swallowing its own tail and the other one showed a normal dragon. Ken's eyes widened in understanding.

"Hmm, I get it!" Ken shouted.

"You mean you have figured it out?" Koushirou asked.

"That's my partner!" Wormmon remarked proudly.

"Ah, Wormmon, stop it!" Ken couldn't help but grin a little hearing his partner praised him, "Look at the paintings beside the teleport devices!" he pointed at the pictures.

"Both are dragon pictures," Taichi scratched his head, "So what's so interesting about them?"

"If you look carefully, one picture is a dragon which swallowed its own tail. Have you heard the story of Ouroboros?" Ken asked back.

"Hey, I think I've saw it in the anime before!" Wallace remarked, "I think it's called Full Metal something, and all the enemies there have that painted somewhere in their bodies."

"Err, while that is true, it is not what I want to say…," Ken sweatdropped. He didn't know that Wallace was such an anime lover.

"Isn't that about something that never end?" Miyako guessed. Ken nodded.

"So, what's the relation between this Ouroboros thing and this?" Iori asked.

"Like Miyako-san said before, Ouroboros represents never-ending cycles, so my guess is if we take this teleport device, we will be sent back to the beginning of this route, or even worse, to the entrance of this sanctum," Ken explained.

"…OK, I get it!" Koushirou nodded, "So it means that we need to take this one in order to advance!" he pointed at the teleport device with normal dragon painted beside it.

"That's right!" Ken shouted.

"Quite reasonable," Jou nodded, "Then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" And with this, all of them vanished.

Without their knowledge, two figures watched over them. They grinned as they watched the Chosen Children vanished in the burst of light.

"Well, not bad at all, I expect no less from the Chosen Children!" One of them remarked as they followed them, and with the same burst of light, they vanished.

* * *

_Sol Inner Sanctum, Sol-Luna Hall…_

With a bright light, the Chosen Children, their partners, Coronamon, and Lunamon appeared in a large hall. A large symbol of Sun and Moon painted side by side. On the opposite side, there was a big gate with Sun and Moon Symbol painted in it.

"Where are we now?" Taichi asked as they inspect the surrounding.

"This is the hall of Sol-Luna," Lunamon explained, "This is the base of the Resistance 1000 years ago."

"Huh? How come you know it?" Koushirou asked.

"It will take a long time to explain it, so I think we should move first," Lunamon smiled, "I promise we will explain everything when the time comes!"

"So, we just need to go through that door, right?" Yamato asked, and Lunamon nodded.

"Yeah, we are already very close to our destination," Lunamon remarked, "Just a little more, and we can reach the temple of Huanglongmon!"

"In that case, we should move faster!" Taichi shouted.

So they started to walk passing the Sol-Luna Hall. There was really nothing there at all and it was very quiet there as they could hear their own footsteps.

"The gate is locked, typical," Ken commented as they arrived in the gate.

"Then let's try using Reveal!" Patamon shouted enthusiastically, "I bet this one is also have some secrets on it!"

"Sorry to spoil your fun, but I don't think it can be done that way," Coronamon shook his head, "From what I remember, this gate can't be opened in a normal way."

"Yeah, I think it needs some kind of special key to open it!" Lunamon stated, pointed at the empty space in the gate, "Otherwise, we will not be able to continue, nor go back, because this room doesn't have any other exits."

"WHAT!" All the Chosen Children shouted in unison.

"…Well, if you are looking for a key, we have it!" a voice echoed from the back of them. The Chosen Children quickly turned around to find two figures walked in their direction.

"…N-no, it can't be…," Daisuke's eyes widened, "…V-mon?"

**To be continued…**


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Chapter 20 is up! Sorry for the delay from the last chapter. Lately I've got a lot of things to do.

Also, thanks to ARCtheElite for checking this chapter! I really owe you a lot!

Disclaimer: Digimon is the property of Toei Animation. Also, some of the terms here may refer to Tales series, Persona Series, or Golden Sun series. They are the properties of their respective owners.

At last, please tell me what do you think about this story via review! Thank you!

* * *

**Chapter 20 Meaning of Birth**

_Sol Sanctum, Sol-Luna Hall…_

"I-it can't be…," Daisuke shook his head in disbelief, "…V-mon?"

In front of Daisuke and the other Chosen stood two Digimon that looked like V-mon. Even their voices were the same as V-mon's. The only difference between his partner and these two were their eyes; while his partner's eyes were always full of warmth, these two's eyes were cold.

"And here I thought that our V-mon is the last surviving V-mon in this world…," Hawkmon shook his head.

"Well, well, you are talking about **him**, right?" one V-mon remarked.

"Oh yeah, sweet, happy-go-lucky Vee," the other one added sarcastically.

"Vee, is that his real name?" Patamon asked.

"Not really," one of V-mon replied, "That is just his nickname."

"Every **one** of us has our own nickname. Mine is Sync," one of V-mon, who appeared to be the taller of the two, explained.

"And mine is Ion," the shorter one added.

"Oh, this becomes so confusing…," Gomamon muttered, "First, we are losing our V-mon, and then two of them just appeared from nowhere like this…"

"So, you two said that you have the key, right?" Koushirou asked.

"Yes," Sync replied, "But we are not going to hand it to you freely!"

"We will give it to you only if you can defeat us!" Ion added.

"Listen, we don't have time to fight you now!" Taichi remarked.

"Yeah, V-mon's life is in grave danger! We need to save him as fast as possible!" Tailmon added.

"Besides, this world also is in danger of destruction!" Agumon followed, "You guys know it, right!"

"So what if this world is destroyed? This world can perish for all I care!" Sync exclaimed.

"Yeah, this world would be better to perish, together with its damn creatures who called themselves Guardians!" Ion snapped.

The Chosen Children and their partners were shocked after hearing both Sync and Ion's statements. They never expected such harsh statements came from those V-mon, who were supposed to be the Sol Sanctum's guardians.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Patamon asked angrily, "Aren't you guardians of this Sol Sanctum? Why do you support the Lord of Millennium?"

"Judging from your saying, our little Vee is captured by the Lord of Millennium, and in a verge of being turned into Doomdramon, right?" Sync sneered evilly.

"In that case, we will not let you take the key!" Ion clenched his fists, forming a fighting stance.

"Why… why do you support the Lord of Millennium?" Daisuke demanded, "And what grudge do you have to V-mon?"

"Hah, Vee is a perfect specimen after all, unlike us trash!" Sync blurted.

"No one ever wants us to be born! We are just rejects!" Ion retorted.

"What is the meaning of this? I don't understand at all…," Agumon scratched his head.

"Yeah, I also don't understand," Tentomon added.

"…Don't tell me that you guys… and that blue brat are…," Coronamon's eyes widened.

"Maybe you're right, bro," Lunamon whispered, "Maybe they are really replicas…"

"Replica? What do you mean by that?" Koushirou asked.

"It's a bit difficult to explain, because we also don't know exactly what it is," Coronamon scratched his head.

"However, in the past, there was a rumor that you could make an exact copy of things by using an ancient technique!" Lunamon explained.

"But using that technique to replicate Digimon is so wrong in every level…," Coronamon shook his head, "And to think that the replicas really exist…"

"Blame those blasted Guardians that we actually exist!" Sync retorted, "First, they created us, and then, they abandoned us!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Yamato inquired, "If they really created them, there's no reason for them to abandon these two!"

"Maybe because they are imperfect," Coronamon suggested.

"What do you mean by that?" Jou asked.

"Well, according to the rumor, if the replication process is applied to the Digimon, there is a high chance that the resulting replica will suffer from the reduction of the ability from its original…," Lunamon explained.

"…That's why this technique is forbidden for replicating Digimon! But to think that the Guardians actually used it…," Coronamon proceeded.

"From all of us, only the seventh and the last one, Vee, showed the ability closest to his original, so the Guardians decided to choose him and abandon all of us!" Ion exclaimed.

"Seven? They actually created seven V-mon replicas?" Coronamon shouted in disbelief while Lunamon shook her head, "Oh God, this is really crazy!"

"All of these talks make me dizzy," Iori mumbled, "They keep talking about replicas, but who is the original anyway?"

"According to the records of a war from 1000 years ago, the last ever-living V-mon is V-maru, so it's possible that he was the original," Lunamon suggested, while those two V-mon nodded lightly, but their eyes were still fixed on the Chosen Children.

"And why did they create the replica in the first hand?" Koushirou asked, "They must have some reasons for that."

"Still, I don't think it is ethical to do that," Jou shook his head, "It's the same as cloning, right?"

"Enough of these useless chit-chats!" Sync snapped, "Back to our business before, if the Lord of Millennium wants to use Vee to destroy this world, we will gladly help him to do so! After all, we hate this world from the very beginning!"

"Yeah, this world is better without those damned Guardians!" Ion cried, "Now get ready, because we will destroy you all!" he tightened his fighting stance.

"Agumon, get ready!" Taichi shouted, "Once you evolve, these guys will be toast!"

"Got it!" Agumon responded vigorously.

"Oh, can you really evolve?" Sync asked mockingly.

"We will see," Taichi grinned confidently, "Agumon, evolve now!" he shouted, but nothing happened.

"Taichi, I can't evolve!" Agumon shook his head. The same was applied to the others.

"Damn, I forget this room has a unique trap!" Coronamon slapped his head.

"You mean…" Takeru inquired.

"This room is equipped with anti-evolution trap," Coronamon shook his head, "In addition, those who are above child level will be forced to degenerate into child level."

"But Tailmon doesn't degenerate into her child level," Hikari protested.

"Maybe she is protected by her holy ring," Lunamon suggested, "But the anti-evolution trap still applies to her, so she still can't evolve."

"Then let's try armor evolution! Hawkmon, Digimental Up!" Miyako shouted, but like before, nothing happened.

"It's useless," Ion grinned maliciously, "The anti-evolution trap will block every kind of evolution, not just the normal one!"

"But that means you two can't evolve too!" Coronamon remarked winningly, "Don't you realize that you are outnumbered?"

"Do you really think that because there are only two of us, you can win easily?" Sync taunted them.

"We might be inferior, but we still inherit V-maru's legendary power! Now, prepare to meet your doom!" Ion exclaimed.

* * *

_Unknown place..._

"Ugh, where am I?" V-mon slowly opened his eyes as he regained consciousness. His eyes quickly inspected his surroundings, but all he could see was darkness. When he tried to move, he found that his hands and legs were shackled down.

"Awake already?" A familiar cold voice echoed. V-mon quickly turned his head to the source of the voice. His eyes widened as he saw his worst nightmare: the Lord of Millennium himself.

"You…," V-mon growled, "What do you want?"

"Now, now, where are your manners? You know that it is not polite to talk like that," Lord of Millennium mocked him.

"Answer me!" V-mon growled angrily, "What do you want?"

"…I guess an insolent child like you needs to be disciplined a little," Lord of Millennium remarked slowly, "Come, kuro ikazuchi (black thunder)!"

Immediately streams of black lightning appeared and struck V-mon. V-mon screamed in pain as the black thunder electrocuted him.

"Well, I guess this is enough…," The Lord of Millennium clapped his hand, and then the black thunder disappeared.

"Such a waste of potential…," The Lord of Millennium remarked slowly as he observed V-mon grunted in pain as the result of the kuro ikazuchi, "You will be more useful if you join me."

"NEVER!" V-mon bellowed as loud as he could, "I will not join you, even if you torture me to death!"

"Then, try me…," the Lord of Millennium smiled maliciously, "I may not look like that, but I know several effective ways of inflicting pain," he then snapped his finger, and instantly, several sharp crystals appeared.

"Go…," He commanded slowly, and instantly, the crystals began to slash every bit of V-mon's body. V-mon could only scream loudly as the sharp blades cut every inch of his skin. After awhile, the Lord of Millennium snapped his finger again, and the crystals disappeared.

"Painful, isn't it?" the Lord of Millennium smiled maliciously.

'_N-no, I will not give up… even if he tortures me to death,'_ V-mon thought as he endured great pain. He could see that every inch of his body was covered by wounds and blood.

'_This is nothing…,'_ V-mon said to himself, and then he glared back to the Lord of Millennium.

"Persistent little brat, aren't you?" The Lord of Millennium mocked him again, "You never cease to amaze me…"

"W-what do you mean?" V-mon gritted painfully, but the Lord of Millennium simply ignored him and continued.

"…well then, I will grant you a special gift," the Lord of Millennium smiled maliciously, "Do you want to know about your past?" he asked.

"M-my past?" V-mon asked again.

"Yes, the truth behind your birth," The Lord of Millennium smiled eerily again, "I take that you don't remember anything about your past life…"

"H-how do you know that?" V-mon demanded.

Well, of course you don't! The Guardians don't want their nice pets finding out why they were born in the first place after all…," the Lord of Millennium smiled maliciously.

"W-what do you mean by that!" V-mon winced in pain as his wounds continued to shed blood.

"…Then, if you insist, I will tell you: your existence is just merely the Guardians' pawn! You are not even a real Digimon!" the Lord of Millennium shouted.

V-mon shocked as he heard that. This was the first time ever he heard someone accusing him not being a Digimon.

"W-what do you mean? I am a Digimon, damn it!" V-mon bellowed.

"Then, have you ever seen the Village of the Beginning in your past? I believe that every normal Digimon should be born in that place!" the Lord of Millennium smiled maliciously, "Or have you experienced being Chibimon or Chicomon in your past?"

"Damn it, I don't remember anything about my past! You yourself told me that!" V-mon growled angrily.

"Hmph, it's not that you forget everything about your past; the truth is you don't even have one! You are just a mere replica, and replicas don't have memory before their creation!" the Lord of Millennium retorted.

"R-replica?" V-mon asked, "W-what do you mean by that?"

"Replica is a copy, means that you are not born from a Digitama, but from data replication from the other Digimon, or in this case, your original," the Lord of Millennium remarked coldly.

"M-my original?" V-mon asked again.

"Yes, your original," the Lord of Millennium replied coldly, "He was very strong indeed, but he was badly injured from our ambushes. The Guardians was so afraid that he couldn't fight anymore, so they decided to create replicas from him. They created a lot of replicas, but from all of them, you, the last one, are the one with the closest ability to your original, so they decided to use you and abandon the others."

"…So, I was born…because they just wanted me as a weapon?" V-mon asked sadly, "No, it can't be! You must be lying!" he shouted.

"Why should I?" the Lord of Millennium smiled eerily, "I heard this from very reliable sources: the ones that the Guardians abandoned. It's quite interesting that at the end, the ones who should go against me were siding with me."

"N-no, it can't be!" V-mon shook his head, "That's…not true." Tears were flowing from his eyes.

"But that's what happened," the Lord of Millennium remarked coldly, "Just accept it! You are born just because they want to use you! If not, why are you sealed shortly after the war! They were so afraid that if you were free, they couldn't use you anymore!"

"I…," V-mon couldn't say anything. He was very sad after he heard this fact. He remembered when Lunamon questioned him about the war in the past, but he said that he didn't remember it. Actually, it's not that he forgot about that; he simply didn't have THAT memory.

'_So I am really just a weapon, huh?' _V-mon thought sadly, _'Is that the only reason why I was born? If so, why me? They could choose the others…'_

The Lord of Millennium smiled maliciously as he observed V-mon felt into silence. He knew that the sadness in V-mon's heart had broken his focus to resist the curse seal. That was enough for him now to completely gain control over V-mon. His smile was even bigger when he saw a runic seal started to form in V-mon's chest.

Taking his cue, the Lord of Millennium started to chant. The runic seal in V-mon's chest grew larger as he continued to chant.

"V-mon, you're mine! Curse Seal, full activation!" the Lord of Millennium shouted as he finished his incantation. The curse seal responded by glowing in eerie purple light as it spread to all of V-mon's body.

The Lord of Millennium laughed maliciously as V-mon screamed in terror. After awhile, the purple light faded and V-mon stopped screaming. Now all of his body was covered with the curse seal. Also, his body's color changed into dark blue as opposed of his usual light blue, and his eyes became bloody red.

"Now come, my pet!" the Lord of Millennium commanded V-mon, "Let's finish this process, and we will have our revenge on the Guardians!"

V-mon nodded lightly and he shattered the shackles that held him down with ease. He then followed the Lord of Millennium as he was ready to finalize his plan.

* * *

_Sol Sanctum, Hall of Sol-Luna…_

"Take this, V-mon Head!" Sync shouted as he launched himself like a rocket at Agumon,

"Baby Flame!" Agumon jumped out of Sync's way and retaliated with his fireball attack. Sync, however, easily dodged his attack.

"Coro Knuckle!" Coronamon launched a fiery punch on Sync.

"Too slow!" Sync taunted as he dodged Coronamon's punch effortlessly, "Now take this, Volley Kick!" Sync jumped high, aiming his attack on Tailmon.

"Not that easy!" Tailmon shouted as she jumped back, making Sync's attack shatter the ground in front of her, "Take this, Neko Punch!"

"Really, is that the best you Adult Digimon can do? Useless!" Sync grinned as he gracefully dodged all of her punches.

"Air Shot!" Patamon followed by shooting pressurized wind from his mouth.

"Petit Thunder!" Tentomon joined as he fired small stream of electricity to Sync.

"Too slow!" Sync shouted as he quickly jumped back just before those combination attacks hit him.

"Damn, he is really fast!" Agumon muttered in frustration, because since the battle started, none of their attacks had landed successfully on Sync.

"We need to think of something!" Patamon panted heavily as he barely dodged another V-mon Head attack.

"But what?" Tentomon asked.

"Palmon, try straining him by using your Poison Ivy while he dodges the others!" Patamon shouted.

"Got it!" Palmon shouted, "Poison Ivy!" she launched multiple vines on Sync.

"Just how many times should I tell you that you are too slow!" again Sync taunted them as he simply caught the vines and slammed them directly to Coronamon's face just before he got any chance to hit him.

"H-how can he neutralize two attacks in the same time?" Tentomon shook his head.

"I-impossible!" Gomamon shouted.

"Forget about that! Just focus on the enemy!" Coronamon grunted in pain, but he was too late, because Sync suddenly appeared in front of Tentomon.

"Over already?" he smirked, "Then let me finish you! Ougi: Stone Dragon Ascent!" without warning, he launched a string of uppercuts on Tentomon. Those uppercuts were so strong that it managed to send some rocks from the ground flying.

"Tentomon!" Koushirou shouted as Tentomon dropped down to the ground unconscious. He quickly fetched Tentomon.

"I am not done yet!" Sync shouted, "Ougi: Blazing V-mon Head!" he jumped back a little, and then, covered in flame, he launched himself like a rocket to Patamon. Realizing this, Patamon quickly flew out the way, but Sync's attack grazed his left wing.

"Patamon!" both Takeru and Tailmon shouted in unison. Tailmon quickly caught Patamon before he dropped to the ground.

"Are you OK?" Tailmon asked.

"Yeah, t-thanks, Tailmon!" Patamon blushed a bit, "Aside from these burns, I am okay," he added as he pointed some burn marks in his left wing.

"I think you should stay back," Tailmon remarked, "With this injury, you will be continuously targeted."

"But…," Patamon tried to protest.

"She's right, Patamon!" Takeru smiled as he picked Patamon, "You have done your best, so let's retreat."

"Well, if you say so, Takeru…," Patamon sighed, "But I still want to help you guys!"

"Hmm, maybe you can use your Reveal to monitor his movements," Tailmon suggested, "That way, you can warn us if he is going to launch something dangerous."

"That's right, maybe you can do it, Patamon!" Takeru nodded.

"Okay, I will try my best!" Patamon remarked as he and Takeru retreated.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ion was facing Lunamon and the rest of the Chosen Digimon. The Chosen Digimon had managed to get him separated from Sync, so he didn't have any other choice than to face the Chosen Digimon alone.

"Take this, V-mon Head!" Ion launched himself like a rocket to the Chosen Digimon. They quickly spread to avoid that, so no one was knocked by this attack.

"Not done yet, Boom Boom Punch!" Ion launched his milling punch on Lunamon. Knowing this, Lunamon quickly jumped out to avoid it.

"…Take this! V-mon Head Drop!" Ion shouted, and he jumped high, and then dropped himself like a meteor on Lunamon again.

Lunamon barely dodged V-mon Head Drop from Ion, which resulting a big crater as the attack connected to the ground.

"Take this!" Hawkmon shouted, "Feather Slash!"

"Rolling Stone!" Armadimon curled himself into a ball and then launched himself to Ion.

"Humph, too easy!" Ion retorted as he dodged Hawkmon's feather and caught Armadimon, and then flung him away.

"Armadimon!" Iori shouted.

"Don't worry, Iori, I am fine, dagyaa!" Armadimon remarked as he got back to his feet.

"Can you take this? Volley Kick!" Ion shouted and jumped high, unleashing devastating kick, on Lunamon, again. Lunamon responded by rolling out of the way, making Ion's kick shattered the ground beside her.

"Damn, why is she continuously being targeted?" Hawkmon muttered.

"In that case, we should distract him!" Betamon shouted, "Take this, Electro Shocker!" Betamon sent a stream of electricity to Ion, who dodged it effortlessly.

"Heheh, so you guys are really useless without evolution," Ion taunted them, "Then it should be easy for me to finish you!"

"Take that back!" Wormmon shouted angrily, "Silk Thread!" he shot strands of thread to Ion. He dodged it like nothing, and now his attention was shifted to Wormmon.

"My, how I loathe weaklings who act so almighty like you… I think I should give you a lesson…," Ion remarked, and then he started to chant.

"Wha-, someone, stop him!" Lunamon, realizing that he was about to cast a spell, shouted.

"Too late! Burn, Eruption!" Ion shouted. A small volcano appeared below Wormmon's feet, and engulfed him in lava.

"Wormmon!" Ken screamed in horror seeing his partner. The spell left Wormmon barely conscious there.

"Wormmon, are you okay!" Ken quickly embraced his partner and picked him up.

"Ugh…," Wormmon grunted, "…Ken-chan?" he slowly opened his eyes.

"…Thank goodness that you are okay," Ken shed a tear in relief, seeing his partner was okay.

"…I am sorry, Ken-chan," Wormmon remarked weakly.

"It's okay…," Ken smiled, "Now let us retreat!"

"Okay, one down," Ion smirked, "Now, who's next!"

"It would be you, evil dragon!" Lunamon's voice was full of poison, "O violent torrent… Splash!"

Following Lunamon's command, a series of water streams dropped on Ion. Ion, however, had anticipated this, so he simply jumped away before the torrent hit him.

"Woohoo, I made this chick angry!" Ion continued to taunt Lunamon, "I knew that I should knock you out from the beginning!" he added as he prepared another spell.

"Not when we are still here!" Terriermon and Lopmon shouted, "Take this, Double Typhoon!" they sent two tornadoes, which caught Ion off-guard.

"That's it!" they cheered, but their cheer was stopped because after the tornadoes faded, Ion was still standing, although he got several bruises in his body.

"Well, well, it seems that I have several annoying creatures here…," Ion remarked sarcastically, "Guess I will finish both of you first!"

"Not a chance!" Betamon shouted, "Electro Shocker!" he sent stream of electricity to Ion.

"Feather Slash!" Hawkmon followed by throwing his head feather.

"Rolling Stone!" Armadimon joined them.

"O frigid blades, pour forth! Icicle Rain!" Lunamon shouted.

"Hmm, this is interesting…," Ion smirked, then he jumped gracefully to dodge Betamon's Electro Shocker, caught the feather attack from Hawkmon and hurled it back to Armadimon, knocking him down in the air in process. After that, he made an unbelievable maneuver to evade all of icicle blades that were hurled down to him.

"I-impossible…," Miyako's glasses dropped as Ion dodged all icicle blades.

"Even V-mon couldn't possibly do that…," Daisuke's eyes widened, "To think that they regarded themselves as rejects…"

"…Be gone! Explode!" Ion shouted, and without warning, a big fireball dropped on Lopmon and Terriermon, causing a big explosion. When the smoke cleared, Lopmon and Terriermon were lying unconscious with a lot of burn marks on their bodies.

"No, Lopmon! Terriermon!" Wallace quickly dashed and picked his partners.

"Three out, four left!" Ion exclaimed.

"Guys, quick, spread!" Lunamon shouted in desperation, "That way he can't knock more than one of us!"

"Is that so?" Ion asked mockingly, "O wind undefiled, embrace those who would be mine enemies…"

"Oh no, this incantation…," Lunamon shouted panicky, "Guys, run!"

"Too late!" Ion exclaimed, "Innocent Shine!"

Without warning, spirals of light appeared below Hawkmon and Armadimon's feet, catching them off-guard. Rays of light flashed around them. Armadimon and Hawkmon screamed in pain as the light repeatedly hit them. After that, the light faded, and both of them were lying, barely conscious.

"Armadimon!" Iori shouted as he ran into his partner.

"Hawkmon!" Miyako followed.

"Five down; the last two should be easy!" Ion smirked maliciously as he observed both Lunamon and Betamon.

* * *

"So, how do you feel fighting someone with the same appearance as Vee?" Sync taunted as he jumped to dodge Agumon's Baby Flame.

"Shut up! You are nothing compared to him!" Agumon retorted angrily.

"You might look the same, but you are not our Vee-chan! You and he are completely different Digimon!" Gomamon shouted.

"Oh yeah, Vee is so naïve, or should I say, a fool," Sync remarked sarcastically, "He fully trusted the Guardians, without knowing that they just wanted to use him like a tool!"

"Silence!" Tailmon shouted angrily, "I won't argue that V-mon is naïve, but he is not a fool! He believed the Guardians because he wanted to protect this world!"

"Oh really?" Sync sneered, "Guess that you don't know the true intentions of the Guardians, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Coronamon asked.

"The Guardians are no different than the Lord of Millennium," Sync remarked coldly, "They are just afraid that the Lord of Millennium would steal their places as the rulers of Digital World!"

"That's not true!" Agumon blurted, "The Guardians just want to protect this world!"

"I guess it is useless trying to argue with you guys…," Sync sighed, "I thought I could give you some insight about this matter, but it seems you guys are just the other pawns of the Guardians. Well then, I will finish you all! Prepare!"

"Then I won't hold back either!" Coronamon shouted, "Prepare yourself!"

"Well, well, this cub is talking as if he is a lion," Sync mocked him, "Guess I will finish you first!"

"Not a chance, Poison Ivy!" Palmon shouted, firing her vines to him.

"C'mon, is that the best you can do?" Sync taunted them as he easily caught the vines, "This will teach you a lesson not to mess with me!" he shouted, and then he used the vines to pull Palmon near.

"…Too bad for you! Ougi: Fire Dragon Rampage!" Sync shouted as he did several fiery punches, followed by a fiery spin kick, and ended it by firing a flaming palm blast in a shape of dragon's head. The final blast blew Palmon away, leaving her unconscious.

"Palmon!" Mimi cried, and she immediately went to her aid.

"Three down now, just four left!" Sync smirked, "Now who's next?"

"Damn it, I've got to do something!" Coronamon shook his head, "Otherwise, we will lose for sure!"

"Coronamon, be careful!" Patamon cried, "He is going to do something bad!"

But Patamon was too late. Before Coronamon could react, Sync appeared before him, and he began to unleash a flurry of kicks and punches on unsuspecting Coronamon. Agumon, Gomamon, and Tailmon could only observe helplessly as Coronamon screamed in pain.

"Take this, and that, this is my Final Fury!" Sync shouted, and then he unleashed a powerful jab on Coronamon's chest, hurling Coronamon away from him.

"Coronamon!" Agumon shouted as he and the other two rushed toward Coronamon.

"Ugh, I was careless and got hit by his Final Fury!" Coronamon grunted in pain as he tried to stand.

"Hey, hey, take it easy! You need a rest!" Tailmon remarked.

'_Damn, we need to do something, otherwise, we will be done for sure…,' _Gomamon thought, and suddenly some verses were running in his head.

'_Well, here I go! It's better than nothing!'_ Gomamon thought, and then he began to chant. At the end of his chant, he shouted, "O purest water of life, Meditation!"

At sudden Coronamon felt that his pain was eased as gentle light embraced him. He looked down and saw that some of his injuries had healed.

"Wow, Gomamon, this is great!" Agumon shouted, "You have learned a new technique!"

"Did I?" Gomamon asked as he was amazed how Meditation worked its wonder.

"Yeah, thanks to you, stupid seal," Coronamon smirked, "I guess I owe you one!"

"Then we will try too!" Agumon and Tailmon shouted in unison.

"Great! It's payback time!" Coronamon shouted.

"Well, well, it seems that you can endure my blow…," Sync taunted them again, "This time you will die for sure!"

"No, we won't, but you will!" Coronamon shouted, "Take this, Ougi: Beast!" Coronamon launched an energy wave in a shape of lion head.

"Too slow!" Sync shouted as he avoided it with ease.

"Then try this!" Coronamon shouted. He jumped high, and while he was in midair, he surrounded himself in fiery phoenix aura, and then launched himself, "Rising Phoenix!"

"Humph, still too slow!" Sync avoided Coronamon with ease.

"Not done yet! Divine Skill: Burning Phoenix!" Coronamon shouted. As he landed, still covered by the phoenix aura, he madly dashed to Sync, causing several firewalls to erupt in his track. Sync, unaware of this, was blasted as the attack connected.

"This is our chance! Attack!" Coronamon shouted.

"Let me do it!" Tailmon exclaimed, "Thou who wouldst take revenge, carve here thy holy seal! Éclair Larmes!"

Without warning, as Sync landed, a seal made of light appeared below his feet, and before he could got away from it, the seal began to radiate its energy, efficiently trapping him there.

"My turn!" Agumon shouted, "Roar proudly, o swirling flame, and incinerate all, Flare Tornado!"

As the light seal faded, a vortex of flame emerged from below Sync's feet, trapping him in a tornado of flame.

"Too hot inside? Don't worry, Gomamon will cool you down!" Gomamon stated with a sing-sang voice, "Spread!"

A column of water immediately rose from below Sync's feet, engulfing and lifting him in process, and finally dropped him.

"That's it!" Agumon cheered, but his cheer was stopped as Sync slowly got in his feet again, although his body was covered with a lot bruises and burn marks.

"Hmph, I've got to admit that you are indeed worthy opponents, but I haven't done here!" He cried.

"…And who says that we have already done?" Coronamon smirked as he suddenly appeared in front of Sync, catching him off-guard.

"This is the payback, you bastard! Divine Skill: Harrowing Flame!" Coronamon shouted, and then launched a string of fiery punches and kicks on Sync.

"This ends now!" Coronamon shouted, and then he launched a fiery uppercut on him, blowing him out.

"Yeah, that's it!" Gomamon cheered.

"We did it!" Tailmon joined.

"Great job, everyone!" Agumon shouted.

Coronamon didn't join their celebration. He slowly walked to Sync, and then he held him in his neck.

"Ugh…, I have…lost!" Sync grunted, "Now, what are you waiting for? Finish me!"

"As you wish…," Coronamon remarked slowly as he raise his fist. Realizing this, Agumon quickly dashed and held him.

"That's enough, Coronamon!" Agumon shouted.

"…Are you deaf?" Coronamon retorted as he struggled to free his left hand for Agumon's grasp, "He wanted me to finish him! Now let go of me!"

"Hmph, I don't need your pity! Just finish me now! No one wants me anyway!" Sync cried.

"Why you-," Coronamon retorted as he tightened his grip on Sync's neck.

"Stop it, Coronamon!" Agumon shouted, "Actually, I really don't mind you kill him for his acts towards us, however, I don't want to cause any more grief to Daisuke. He has lost his partner, and I'm sure it will bring more pain to him if he sees the one with similar appearance to his partner dies in front of his very eyes."

"Yeah, you're right!" Tailmon remarked softly, "Please think about it, Coronamon!"

"If you are on our side, please consider this!" Gomamon pleaded, "You owe me one, right?"

"Tsk, fine, you are alive…for now!" Coronamon retorted as he dropped the blue dragon off, "But don't blame me if he attacks you again in the future!"

"We will worry about that later!" Agumon remarked, "Now let's help the others!"

* * *

"Hey, Betamon, can you help me?" Lunamon asked the amphibian Digimon as they dodged Thunder Blade spell from Ion.

"What do you want me to do?" Betamon asked.

"Distract him, but be careful!" Lunamon replied, "Meanwhile, I will cast some spell to stagger him! Also, try using arcane magic or technique!"

"…OK, I will try!" Betamon nodded.

"Well, well, over already?" Ion taunted them, "Guess it is difficult to fight with only two of you…"

"Shut up!" Betamon shouted, "Try this, Ougi: Ravaging Thunder!" he shouted, and immediately, a large beam of electricity rushed from his mouth, trying to pierce Ion.

"So you have another technique other than your signature, huh?" Ion smirked as he jumped high to the air to avoid that, "Now this is what I call interesting!"

'_Great, he is distracted. Good job, Betamon!'_ Lunamon smiled, and then she turned to see Hikari and the others were watching them.

'_Child of Light, I am sorry, but I really need to do it!' _Lunamon sighed, and then she began to chant.

"Take your punishment, Holy Lance!" Ion shouted. Immediately, several spears made of light flew towards Betamon. Betamon, however, had anticipated this, so he quickly rolled away to avoid being stabbed to death.

"Heheh, it's a good one. Too bad I have already anticipated that!" Betamon smirked in satisfactory.

"Humph, you are just lucky!" Ion retorted, "Now, prepare yourself!" he said as he began to chant for another spell.

"Not a chance!" Lunamon interrupted, "O twisted door of distortion, open wide, Negative Gate!"

"What the-!" Ion's eyes widened as he saw a ball of pure darkness formed above him. He tried to escape, but the ball immediately released its darkness wave. Ion screamed in pain as the dark wave consumed him.

"…As I thought!" Lunamon shouted, "He is weak against darkness!"

"My turn now!" Betamon cried, "C'mon, water, take him out! Maelstrom!"

As the dark sphere disappeared, a whirlpool started pulsing from below Ion's feet. He was screaming in pain at the violent water hit him multiple times.

"O hellion whose roars chill the very souls, resound! Bloody Howling!" Lunamon shouted, and immediately, the swirling water was replaced by a vortex of darkness wave. More painful scream was heard as the black vortex tore through the blue dragon.

"That's it!" Betamon cheered as he saw Ion dropped to the ground.

"…I am not done yet!" Ion grunted as he got back to his feet, and although he had already badly injured, he quickly dashed toward Lunamon.

Lunamon, however, had anticipated this. As Ion approached her, a purple magic circle appeared below her feet, and a wave of darkness energy rushed from the seal, catching Ion off-guard, lifting him to the air in process.

"This is the end! Divine Skill: Evil Light!" Lunamon shouted. As Ion dropped to the ground, Lunamon fired giant laser of darkness on him, blasting him out from her.

"…Did we do it?" Betamon asked.

Lunamon didn't answer his question. She merely walked to Ion. As she approached him, she used her magic to levitate him so she could talk to him.

"Do you give up?" Lunamon simply asked.

"…Ugh, you are too strong. I admit defeat!" the blue dragon muttered, "Here, take it! This is the key to advance!" he added, and then he summoned an emblem from his hand, and threw it away, "Now finish me!"

Lunamon only stared at him as he said that. After awhile, she decided to drop him off.

"…I don't see any reason for me to kill you, so you are alive…for now!" Lunamon said.

"I don't need your pity!" Ion exclaimed, "Finish me already! I am a reject! No one ever wants me!"

"Don't get me wrong! I can kill you if I want to!" Lunamon stated coldly, "However, I can't find any reason to do that! Now go and don't bother us anymore!"

"Ok, with this we can advance!" Lunamon smiled as she turned to Betamon and picked the emblem.

"Then…we won!" Betamon shouted.

"Everyone, are you okay?" Agumon asked as he approached them.

"Yes, we just finished him!" Betamon replied.

"And we have defeated Sync as well!" Gomamon cheered.

"Sis, are you okay?" Coronamon asked.

"Yes," Lunamon replied, and then she handed the emblem to Coronamon.

"Good, this should work!" Coronamon smirked, and then he inserted the emblem into the empty space in the door. The door immediately opened as he did that.

"Now, shall we?" Coronamon asked the Chosen Children and their partners who still celebrated their victory.

"Yes, let's do it!" Taichi shouted.

"But what about them?" Daisuke asked as he looked at Sync and Ion. Even though he knew that they were not his partner, but because of their similar appearance to his partner, he kept thinking about them.

"Just leave them," Coronamon simply said.

"But…," Daisuke tried to protest.

"Don't worry about them!" Lunamon remarked, "They will be okay! Just believe it!"

"…OK, I got it!" Daisuke remarked, and after looking at them at the last time, he followed the others.

'_V-mon, I hope you are okay!' _Daisuke thought as they left.

**-To be continued-**


	21. Chapter 21

A/N: Here comes the update! Sorry for not updating for a long time.

I have just finished this chapter, but I feel obliged to post it as soon as possible, so this one hasn't been proof-read, so you can expect some, if not a lot spelling and grammatical errors in this chapter. I hope you don't mind...

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Digimon is the property of Toei Animation. Also, this chapter may contain some references from some games, especially Tales series games. All of them belong to their respective owners.

Please review!

* * *

**Chapter 21 – The Only Hope**

_Sol Sanctum, Fiery Path…_

Venturing deep into the Sol Sanctum, the Chosen Children arrived in the Fiery Path. As suggested in its name, this place was actually inside the active volcano. Lava surrounded every their path, making it unbearably hot.

"Whew, this place is sure hot!" Taichi muttered, "This heat really burns my lungs!"

"Of course!" Coronamon snapped, "We are inside an active volcano! Now stop complaining and move!" he commanded irritably.

"My, talk about temper!" Miyako commented.

"I am sorry if my brother keeps snapping at you," Lunamon apologized, "He's in his worst mood ever since we escaped from the Reaper."

"Don't worry about it, Lunamon," Agumon remarked, "He's right after all, we need to get done with this place as soon as possible!"

"…Everyone, can we take a rest awhile? I think Hikari can't take it anymore!" Takeru suggested. Everyone quickly turned into Hikari. It seemed Takeru was right; Hikari's face was very pale.

"…Hang on!" Lunamon remarked, "We almost reach our first stop! We can rest there!"

"Yeah, it's just in front of us! C'mon, let's move!" Coronamon shouted impatiently.

"Hikari, if you can't take it anymore, let me help you!" Takeru remarked, "Just lean on my shoulder!"

"N-no, I am okay, really!" Hikari forced to smile.

"Ok then, but please tell me if you need my help!" Takeru remarked gently.

"O-ok, thank you, Takeru!" Hikari blushed a bit.

So they walked a little more, and even though the heat became more and more unbearable, they finally reached their first stop. It was a cave, shielded from the heat of the volcano.

"Whew, finally a cool place!" Gomamon shouted.

"Well, it's not a good as outside, but it's still better than before!" Koushirou wiped his sweat.

"I never thought we would need to pass this horrible path anymore," Jou shook his head, "The Dragon's Path we encountered before is bad enough, but this is truly insane!"

"Hikari, are you okay?" Taichi asked anxiously.

"Y-yes, I am alright," Hikari forced a smile, "With a little rest, I am sure I will be okay."

"Your hands are very cold," Takeru grabbed her hands, "Don't tell me that you've seen that place again!"

"N-no, really, I am okay!" Hikari remarked, "Just…"

"…Maybe it is because of me," Lunamon suggested, "Before, I used some dark magic to defeat Ion. Maybe she was affected by that."

"Oh yeah, she's very sensitive to darkness," Takeru remarked.

"I am sorry about that, but I have no other choices," Lunamon bowed apologetically.

"…Don't worry about that, Lunamon," Hikari smiled, "It's just because I am not used to see someone in our side using dark magic."

"Oh yeah, now that you mention it, those V-mon are indeed very strong," Koushiro stated, "How come they are regarding themselves as rejects?"

"Yeah, their battle techniques are amazing!" Patamon added, "In addition, they seem to have some dangerous techniques, like when Sync smacked Coronamon."

"Well, thanks for reminding me about that moment!" Coronamon retorted.

"This is just my thought, but I think they can't evolve," Lunamon raised a point.

"Of course they can't! They don't have partners, right?" Taichi remarked.

"No, it's not like that!" Lunamon shook her head, "Digimon without partners can also evolve naturally, but it's very difficult."

"Yeah, like us, we can evolve, but we rarely do that," Coronamon added.

"So, that's the reason why they challenged us in that room?" Hawkmon suggested.

"Most likely," Coronamon replied shortly.

"But how can our partners are beaten so easily by them?" Mimi asked.

"Maybe because our partners are not used to fight in their child level," Jou suggested, "Since they can evolve, they rarely fight in their child level, remember?"

"…While most likely those two always fight in their child form. It's obvious that you can't match them!" Coronamon added.

"Anyway, please rest as good as you can!" Lunamon interrupted, "This path is quite harsh, and there's a chance that we don't have any other rest area like this."

* * *

_Patamon and Tailmon…_

"Pata-kun, are you okay?" Tailmon asked as she sat beside him.

"Yes, as you can see, it's already healed," Patamon showed his left wing, "Umm, back there, thanks for saving me…," he blushed a bit.

"Don't mind it, we are friends," Tailmon remarked, "Besides…"

"Yeah?" Patamon asked.

"Well, maybe more than just friend," Tailmon remarked, "You are…my most important Digimon, after all," she blushed.

"Tailmon…," Patamon whispered, but before he could continue, Tailmon kissed him in the cheek.

"This is for my little angel," Tailmon smiled.

Now Patamon's face was completely red. He couldn't find any word to describe his feeling now. He and Tailmon then spent their precious moment together.

* * *

_Agumon and the others…_

"Agumon, what do you think about what Sync and Ion told us back there?" Tentomon asked.

"You mean about the replica stuffs and others?" Agumon asked, "To tell the truth, I don't really understand what they are talking about."

"Yeah, I also don't understand, but if what they mentioned is true, it's really something!" Gomamon added, "I mean, imagine that you find out that you are actually made, not born."

"Yeah, it's very hard to believe that!" Tentomon nodded.

"Hey, they told us that the Guardians made seven V-mon replicas, but how come we only saw three of them, dagyaa?" Armadimon asked.

"Now that you mention it, we haven't seen the other four!" Hawkmon nodded in agreement.

"Hey Wormmon, Hawkmon, Armadimon, do you remember how many Doomdramon did you face 1000 years ago?" Agumon turned to face them.

"…I don't remember, sorry…," Wormmon shook his head apologetically.

"I also don't remember," Hawkmon scratched his head.

"…So do I, dagyaa," Armadimon added, "But at least two of them were exist, because I remember AlForceV-dramon destroyed two of them, dagyaa!"

"W-what? V-mon killed two of them?" Agumon asked in surprise.

"Yeah, and I remember that he did it mercilessly, dagyaa!" Armadimon added innocently.

"Poor V-mon…," Tentomon whispered, "If he heard this news, he will be very devastated."

"Why? They are our enemies, right?" Wormmon asked, "So why V-mon should feel depressed about them?"

"No, it's not that!" Agumon shook his head, "I have a feeling that the other four V-mon replicas were captured by the Lord of Millennium and being turned into Doomdramon! That's why I asked you about this!"

"…You may be right," Hawkmon nodded, "I wonder why we didn't notice it in the past…"

"That doesn't important now!" Tentomon shook his head, "The most important thing now is we need to retrieve the Light as soon as possible!"

"Yeah, we must proceed quickly!" Agumon remarked, "The faster we can retrieve the Light, the higher chance we can prevent the recurrence of this tragedy!"

"Yeah, not that I don't believe on V-mon, but I think the Lord of Millennium might have something sneaky to exploit V-mon's innocence. I will never forgive Lord of Millennium if that happens!" Wormmon shouted.

"I hope we don't need to face any other enemy here…," Gomamon whined, "Two V-mon are already more than enough!"

"I really do hope so…," Agumon nodded.

"Guys, what are you talking about?" Patamon and Tailmon joined them.

"…We just had a talk about the Doomdramon in the past," Tentomon explained, "Do you two remember about that? How many Doomdramon did you all defeat in the past?"

"I don't really remember clear enough, but I think there are at least two of them," Patamon tilted his head.

"So do I," Tailmon shrugged, "What's wrong with that?"

"This is just my feeling, but I think those Doomdramon were the other V-mon's replicas," Agumon explained, "Remember, we just saw three of them, including our V-mon, so there are four more replicas we haven't seen."

"Hmm, that's reasonable," Patamon nodded in agreement.

"However, that means…," Tailmon gasped.

"…Yeah, V-mon killed his own kinds, or should I say, his twin brothers," Agumon smiled bitterly.

"That's really horrible," Patamon held his hand in his chest, "To think a happy, go-lucky Digimon like him bears such a horrible burden."

"I also don't know whether we can trust the Guardians anymore," Agumon shook his head, "If those V-mon's words are true, then it means that the Guardians themselves are no different than the Lord of Millennium!"

"Agumon!" Tailmon scolded at him, "The Guardians just wanted to protect this world, so—so…"

"I hate to admit it, but Agumon raised a point there…," Tentomon remarked, "Even for the sake of this world, still it cannot justify their action toward V-mon!"

"But how can we confirm this fact?" Gomamon asked, "The Guardians obviously will not tell the truth if we ask them about this matter, and…"

"…Yeah, we still can't trust those V-mon yet," Agumon nodded, "Not when they wanted to kill us."

"I think we will know about that sooner or later," Patamon remarked, "Now we must focus ourselves to retrieve the Light! Remember, we are not doing this because we are told by the Guardians! We are doing this because we want to save V-mon, and our world!"

"You are absolutely right!" Tailmon nodded, "Then, Agumon, is this reason good enough for you?"

Agumon thought for awhile, and then he nodded, "Yeah, you are right! Thank you, Patamon!"

"No problem, we are friends, and friends help each other, right?" Patamon smiled.

"Great, then let's see if our partners have rested good enough! We need to continue as soon as possible!" Agumon shouted, and then all of them returned to their partners.

* * *

"Hey, Coronamon, Lunamon, can you tell me more about this replica stuff?" Koushirou asked the lion Digimon.

"Well, to tell the truth, I don't know much about this stuff, but there's a wild rumor about the Lord of Millennium used this ancient technology to create his army 1000 years ago," Coronamon remarked.

"However, we can't be sure about this, because basically, the replicas can't be easily distinguished from the other Digimon, as their appearances are the same as us," Lunamon added.

"Wow, you two sure know a lot of rumors!" Miyako commented.

"But I think it is very obvious, Miyako-san! They are spies, right?" Ken reminded her.

"Oh yeah, I almost forget about that…," Miyako slapped her forehead.

"No problem at all," Lunamon responded, "As spies, the less people know about you, the better, even our allies shouldn't know too much about us!"

"Hey, that also reminds me!" Koushiro shouted, "You guys stated that you would explain why you knew this place so much!"

"Yeah, I am curious about that too," Ken nodded, "So, if you two don't mind, can you share some details about yourselves?"

"Actually, we don't mind telling you our story, but saving that blue brat is more important now!" Coronamon added.

"Well, Hikari still needs some rest, so we will rest a bit longer. Didn't you two say that there's a chance that we can't find another rest area here?" Taichi explained.

"Yeah, and our partners are still tired from the last battle," Yamato added, "I do not hope I am right, but I think we are not done here yet!"

"What do you mean, Bro?" Takeru asked.

"He means that there's a chance that we have to battle again. I don't believe those V-mon are the only guardians here," Jou remarked.

"Yeah, he is right!" Sora nodded, "But I can't imagine how strong the true guardian will be, given that those V-mon are already very strong…"

"That's why we should let them rest well," Yamato smiled, "That way, they will be fully prepared to face any obstacle!"

"…Very well, if you insist, we will tell some details of ourselves," Lunamon closed her eyes.

"First of all, I believe that we told you guys that we were the descendants of the resistance that oppose Lord of Millennium 1000 years ago," Coronamon started.

"Yeah, I think V-mon mentioned it before," Takeru remarked.

"Well, actually, we lied, we are the same as your partners; we have lived since 1000 years ago," Lunamon remarked.

"We were the leader of the Resistance that opposed the Lord of Millennium, and our job was to provide information for the Guardians, as we were no match for the Millennium Generals," Coronamon added.

"…No wonder you have a broad range of information regarding the Lord of Millennium and his army," Ken commented.

"Yes, but it came from countless spies that formed our spy network. You can say that we just collected the information gathered from our spy network, and then reported it to the Guardians," Lunamon explained.

"…In that case, you must know about the Millennium Generals," Koushirou remarked, "How many are they?"

"There are six in total," Coronamon simply replied, "And I believe you have defeated four of them."

"Yes, Chimeramon, Chaosdramon, Darkdramon, and GigaSeadramon," Taichi counted with his fingers, "Means that there are still two Millennium Generals."

"Correct, and Millenniumon is one of them, and the strongest of the Millennium Generals," Lunamon nodded, "He is undefeatable if we can't nullify his time-space abilities."

"Nullify time-space abilities, huh?" Yamato commented, "Do you two have any idea about it?"

"Actually, there is also a rumor about this," Coronamon remarked, "It is said that the reason that we could subdue Millenniumon in the past is because we had one thing called Eternal Orb."

"Eternal Orb? What is that?" Jou asked.

"Well, it's a very top secret information, so we are afraid that we don't know much about that," Lunamon explained, "But according to the rumors, that magic orb could render the time-space abilities useless, making it possible to defeat Millenniumon in normal way."

"However, even with Eternal Orb, Millenniumon was proved to be strong enough to defeat most of us, so with the sacrifice of the five heroes, the Guardians split him into Chimeramon and Chaosdramon, and sealed them away."

"Wait a minute, you said five heroes, just who are they?" Miyako intercepted.

"Well, I think you have heard the rumor right? About the first Chosen Children ever?" Lunamon asked.

"Well, yeah, Gennai mentioned about them in our first adventure," Taichi remarked.

"Then, you might have guessed it; it is because their sacrifice that the Guardians could defeat Millenniumon," Coronamon smiled bitterly.

"It was a great sacrifice, and a great loss, because without their power, we couldn't defeat the Lord of Millennium, so Huanglongmon, together with AlForceV-dramon, used the power of Eternal Orb to seal the Lord of Millennium," Lunamon ended their story.

"Wow, that was some stories…," Taichi commented.

"Believe it or not, this is what happened 1000 years ago," Coronamon shrugged, "I can't believe that this tragedy is about to be repeated."

"No, we will not let this tragedy to be repeated!" Patamon gritted his teeth, "For the sake of this world, and the sake of V-mon, we will do everything to prevent this tragedy!"

"Then we should move now!" Coronamon commanded, "We need to retrieve whatever sealed here as soon as possible or this world will be doomed!"

"Wait, isn't the Light you were talking about?" Koushirou asked.

"Well, actually, the existence of the Light is just a hypothetical," Lunamon stated.

"…What do you mean?" Daisuke asked.

"It means that no one has actually seen the Light," Coronamon added, "According to the myth, Huanglongmon sealed it here, but we have never seen it, even in the past."

"What!?" Everyone shouted in disbelief.

"Yes, the existence of the Light has never been confirmed," Lunamon emphasized, "However, judging from the way those two V-mon acted, I believe that there must be something in this sanctum that can remedy V-mon's curse seal."

"How can you be sure?" Miyako asked.

"If you remember, they said that they knew that V-mon was in verge of being turned into Doomdramon, right?" Coronamon asked.

"Yeah, they said it, but what does that mean?"

"Next, they said that they would not let us taking the key they had been guarding, as they wanted to see this world perished," Lunamon added, "This, of course, counteracts with what we are trying to do."

"That means that they wanted to prevent us from retrieving something in this sanctum that would ruin their vision, and the only one that could ruin their vision is if we can rescue that blue brat!" Coronamon explained, "However, they had never mentioned about the Light, so we don't know if the Light is really exist."

"…Then, we still can save V-mon, right?" Daisuke asked helplessly.

"Of course we can!" Ken encouraged his best friend, "That's why we are here, right!?"

"Ken's right!" Takeru smiled, "We will save him for sure!"

"Then now, shall we?" Coronamon asked.

"Yes, let's go!" Taichi shouted.

* * *

So, the Chosen Children and their partners continued their journey in the scorching Fiery Path. As Coronamon and Lunamon predicted, the path was getting harsher and harsher as they walked. Sometimes they need to cross paths temporarily flooded by the lava, and to do so, they need to wait the low lava tide.

"Whew, you are not kidding about this path getting harsher and harsher…," Taichi groaned as they crossed lava-flooded path.

"Keep moving, everyone!" Lunamon shouted, "If the lava touches you, it will leave more than just blister!"

"Yeah, we know about that!" Yamato remarked irritably. As they finished crossing it, the path was once again engulfed in lava.

"Whew, that was close…," Agumon wiped his sweat, "The fiery atmosphere here is really bad… I think I can feel my lungs burning!"

"Huh, I thought fire-type Digimon like you can withstand this kind of environmental better…" Taichi commented.

"Yeah, if I was Meramon, maybe I could, but for me, this is too much…," Agumon shook his head.

"And if you complain about this heat, how about me?" Gomamon groaned, "I think I am gonna die any second now!"

"Hang in there, Gomamon!" Jou encouraged his partner.

"Yeah, hang in there, we are almost there!" Coronamon shouted.

"You said it 30 minutes ago!" Patamon protested, "Just how long we need to walk here!?"

"Just a little more!" Lunamon remarked," After we crossed that pit, we will reach the Temple of Huanglongmon!" she pointed at the opening in the cliff across them.

"Are you sure?" Iori asked.

"Positively!" Coronamon answered.

"Then how can we cross this lava river?" Miyako asked, "As far as I can see, there is no bridge or something else we can use to cross this river."

"How about flying?" Tentomon suggested.

"Yeah, we can evolve and carry you all!" Hawkmon added.

"Might not need to…" Coronamon smirked, "See those thingie floating in the middle of the air? If we can light it somehow, the path will be revealed!" he pointed at some candle-shaped things floating in the air.

"How we can do that?" Agumon asked.

"Use fire, of course," Coronamon emphasized, "I think your Baby Flame should do the trick! Remember that we need to light all the candles in the same time, so you will need to do it by only one shot!"

"By one shot!?" Agumon asked in disbelief, "Are you kidding!? Those candles are moving! There's no way I could light them all in one shot!"

"Well, I think you can, Agumon," Ken remarked, "If you see their movement carefully, even though the candles are moving in different directions, there is a brief moment when all the candles align in one line."

"Ken's right!" Koushirou nodded in agreement, "When all the candles align in one line, it's our chance!"

"Then, what should I do?" Agumon scratched his head.

"Give me a moment!" Ken remarked, "Now Agumon, do it!" he shouted.

"OK, Baby Flame!" Agumon fired a small fireball from his mouth. As Ken predicted, the fireball went through all the candles, lighting them in process. After the last candle was lit, a passage made from light emerged, connecting them to the opposite area.

"Great, now we should be able to cross it!" Taichi cheered, "Good job, Agumon!"

"Well, I think the credit goes to Ken," Agumon scratched his head, smirking, "Without his help, I don't think I can do it!"

"No, no, I just pointed out when to do it, you did a good job by following my instruction," Ken shook his head, "Now, shall we?" he asked.

"Yeah, we'd better move fast!" Taichi nodded, "Time is running out as we speak!"

After that, they crossed the bridge. Even though the bridge seemed to be made from light, it was actually solid enough to carry all of them. After awhile, they made it to the opposite side.

"So, we just need to enter this rift, right?" Iori asked.

"Yes, after passing this tunnel, we will arrive at the Temple of Huanglongmon!" Lunamon nodded.

"Great, let's go!" Agumon remarked enthusiastically.

Shortly, after passing that tunnel, they arrived into a spacious room. At the opposite side, there was a gate, just like in the Hall of Sol-Luna.

"Are we there yet?" Taichi asked.

"Yes, that gate there will lead us into the Temple of Huanglongmon!" Coronamon pointed at the gate in the opposite side.

"What's wrong, Patamon?" Tailmon asked as they walked through the hall.

"I don't know how to describe it, but I feel that we are being watched just now," Patamon shook his head.

"Oh no, don't tell me that those two V-mon are following us!" Coronamon blurted, "Damn, I knew that I should have finished them back there!"

"No, the presence is completely different!" Patamon remarked cautiously.

"Then we should hurry!" Lunamon shouted, "The last thing we need is another fight here!"

Without warning, about fifty spider-like creatures were dropping from the upper part of the hall, and before they could even move, they were surrounded by those creatures.

"What the hell are these Dokugumon doing here!?" Taichi shouted panicky.

"And there are lots of them, too!" Sora shrieked.

"Damn, everyone, get ready!" Agumon shouted.

"Right!" all of them responded.

"Save your power! Just leave this to us!" Suddenly from their back, a voice echoed. At once, all of them turned and saw two V-mon standing behind them. Judging from their appearance and the burn marks in their body, they were obviously Sync and Ion, whom they had defeated before.

"You!" Coronamon growled, "What do you want!?"

Sync and Ion didn't reply to Coronamon's question. They simply began to chant a spell.

"O countless falling stars, pour forth, Meteor Swarm!" Sync shouted, and without warning, countless meteors started falling at the Dokugumon. Each time the meteor hit Dokugumon, it instantly destroyed them.

"O primordial brilliance, come forth and destroy mine enemies, Big Bang!" Ion cried. Following his command, waves of celestial wonders were pulsing at the remaining Dokugumon before detonated into a massive explosion. After the smoke cleared, all Dokugumon were destroyed, leaving only the trace of their data.

"A-amazing, with just two attacks, and they destroyed all of them!" Agumon's eyes widened.

"We were lucky they didn't use them at us back there…," Gomamon muttered.

"But, did you need to kill them like that!?" Patamon protested.

"Answer us! What do you want!?" Coronamon bellowed and tried to grab them, but before he could do it, both of them dropped to their knees.

"Hey, are you two OK?" Tentomon asked.

"Ugh, guess I've overdone it…," Sync panted heavily.

"We may have our original's abilities, but we don't have his strength…," Ion shook his head.

"Why…why are you helping us?" Daisuke asked.

"We are told to bring you to the Temple of Huanglongmon safely!" Sync replied.

"By whom?" Taichi demanded.

"By the real guardian of this sanctum…," Ion simply replied, "I'd prefer not to say any more about this thing."

"Just don't ever think that we were doing this because you spared our life!" Sync shouted, "We just did that because we were told so!"

"He is expecting your presence!" Ion remarked, "Now, go!"

"OK then, let's go!" Yamato shouted.

"But how about them?" Daisuke asked anxiously. Obviously, he was concerning Sync and Ion.

"Hmph, I am surprised that you still have time to concern about us!" Sync blurted, "Shouldn't you worry about your sweet partner Vee!?"

"Yeah, even though we are tapped, we can still take care ourselves just fine!" Ion added.

"Well, if so, then let's go!" Coronamon commanded, "There's no need to concern someone who is so ungrateful like that!"

"Guess he's right…," Ken nodded, "Daisuke, let's go!"

Daisuke nodded lightly, and they entered the gate, leaving Sync and Ion alone there.

* * *

_Sol Sanctum, Hall of Origin…_

"So we have arrived huh?" Taichi asked as they looked at their surroundings. Nothing special about this hall, except for some sophisticated patterns engraved in the wall and floor. Like the Hall of Sol-Luna before, there was a big symbol of Sun and Moon engraved in the middle of the hall.

"Is this what you called Temple of Huanglongmon, Lunamon?" Tailmon asked.

"That's right, Chosen Children! Welcome to the heart of Sol Sanctum!" a voice echoed. They quickly turned to see a figure walked to them. This figure was 2 feet on height, had a blue skin with white belly with a V-shaped mark in his forehead and two small ones in his cheeks, just like…

"V-mon!?" Everyone shouted in disbelief.

"Yeah, I am one, but I am not the one you know," he remarked calmly, and he was right. Aside from their similarity, he had some differences from their V-mon. While V-mon's V mark was yellow, this one was gold.

"But how…?" Daisuke asked, "Are you one the replicas too?"

"Close enough, but no, I am not," that V-mon replied, "I am Zenmaru, V-maru's twin brother," he added.

"This thing really makes me confused…," Gomamon hold his head with his hand, "First we met V-mon's replica, and now, his twin brother?"

"How could it be?" Patamon asked, "According to Lunamon, the last V-mon ever survived is V-maru!"

"Your reaction about this is predictable, as I, as well as my predecessors, am never mentioned in the history," Zenmaru replied.

"You mean?" Koushirou asked.

"That V-mon are always born in twins, and it's the duty of one of them to serve as the protector of this sanctum," Zenmaru explained.

"You mean to protect the Light?" Iori asked.

"No, we exist to protect Origin's Seal, which is very vital for this world's balance," Zenmaru replied, "This is very top secret information, and beside us, only Huanglongmon knows about this."

"Origin's Seal?" Coronamon's eyes widened, "So that rumor is true after all…"

"Yeah, to think that Origin really exists, this is really something!" Lunamon added.

"Origin? Who or what is that?" Taichi asked.

"If you can enter this sanctum, you must already know about the Elemental Spirits that guard the gate of this sanctum, right?" Zenmaru asked, and all of them nodded.

"Yeah, Gnome, Undine, Sylph, and Salamander…," Jyou nodded in agreement.

"Origin is one of the Spirits, but unlike them, he is the Spirit of Creation, and thus the King of all Spirits," Zenmaru explained, "He rules the Spirits of Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth, as well as the Spirits of Light and Dark."

"So, what's so special about this Origin?" Taichi asked, "Why does he need to be protected anyway?"

"…Origin is the only one who can forge the legendary Eternal Orb," Zenmaru replied, "This almighty orb can manipulate time-space as well as the other elements. After the War of Millennium 1000 years ago, to avoid someone misuses it, Huanglongmon split the Eternal Orb into its materials, and then sealed them all across the World. He also sealed the 4 Elemental Spirits, which are needed to enter this sanctum, all across the 4 hemispheres. Of course, I also guard this place, together with my brothers," he added.

"…Your brothers?" Patamon asked, "You mean those two?"

"Yes, you got it right," Zenmaru smiled, "I found them wandering around here, so after hearing their stories, I took them under my protection and trained them to be guardians of this sanctum."

"But they attacked us!" Yamato protested, "They said that they would prevent us to retrieve whatever sealed here!"

"…About that, I am truly sorry," Zenmaru bowed a little, "I think they are still traumatized of being born and then cast away because they were not needed."

"So, why do we need this Eternal Orb?" Wallace asked.

"I believe that you need it to undo the Millennia Seal on Vee, right?" Zenmaru remarked.

"How do you know?" Daisuke asked.

"My brothers told me about that, so I dispatched them to bring you to me," Zenmaru replied.

"S-so, this orb can free V-mon from his curse!?" Daisuke asked anxiously.

"Yes," Zenmaru nodded, "Basically, Eternal Orb can neutralize any kind of magic, including the time-space one, and so, I believe it can be done!"

"Then, how can we forge it?" Yamato asked.

"You need the materials," Zenmaru replied, "Also, you need to break the Origin's Seal, which consists of 3 seals: the seal of Light, Dark, and Dragon!"

"So, what materials do we need?" Jyou asked, "Don't tell me that we need to go out of this sanctum to search for them again!"

"Hmm, since you are the Chosen Children, you should already have them," Zenmaru answered, "I presume you have all of the eight Digimental, right?"

"Yeah, we have them all," Miyako replied.

"Great, those are the Eternal Orb's materials," Zenmaru smiled, "Now we need to break the three Origin's Seals. To break them, we need to summon Rem, the Spirit of Light, and Shadow, the Spirit of Darkness, while I will undo the Dragon's Seal!" he added.

"Wait a minute, you said that we need to summon Rem and Shadow, but how can we summon them if we don't even have a clue about their whereabouts!?" Agumon asked in frustration.

"Yeah, even Qinglongmon didn't tell us about them!" Iori protested.

"Oh, but you DO have them, because the ones who hold the pacts with them are here with us!" Zenmaru replied.

"But who?" Ken asked, "We never meet them, except maybe…," he turned to look at Coronamon and Lunamon.

"…Now I see why Gennai was so eager to send us to accompany you," Coronamon shrugged.

"…So you two can summon Rem and Shadow?" Tentomon asked.

"Yes," Lunamon nodded lightly, "But we'd never thought that they were needed in here!"

"Then can you summon them for us?" Daisuke pleaded.

"Well, seeing that this world is really in grave danger, I think I don't have any other choice," Coronamon shrugged.

"Yes, I guess so!" Lunamon added.

"Good, then we can begin the process now, but first, I need to do some preparations first!" Zenmaru remarked, and after he said it, he was surrounded by the light of evolution. After the light faded, he was replaced by a wyvern-like dragon with gold wings. A holy ring was attached to his right arm.

"I can't believe it…," Tailmon muttered as she saw this transformation, "…Goddramon!?"

"I thought he was just a legend!" Patamon added.

"Yeah, my true identity is Goddramon!" the newly-evolved Zenmaru stated, "However, I thought it would be easier to talk to you guys if I was in my child level, so I degenerated myself before you came here… Guess I just made you confused, didn't I?"

"Yeah, especially because we thought that Vee is the only V-mon left in this world…," Hawkmon commented, "In a split second, I thought you were him."

"Sorry about that, then," Zenmaru stated apologetically, "However, that wasn't the only reason why I chose to be at my child level when I met you."

"So your other reason is…," Koushirou asked.

"…As the symbol of trust, meaning that you don't need to fight me, even though according to my duty, I should fight you as the proof of your strength to make a pact with Origin," Zenmaru explained.

"Whew, that's good, then!" Armadimon sighed in relief.

"So you will not fight us?" Wormmon asked to make sure.

"Don't worry, I won't. I believe you will need your strength later…," Zenmaru replied, "Now, let's move on!"

* * *

_Dark Area, Tower of Shadow, Prison Room…_

Behind the bars, there were two Digimon. It had been around one week since Gabumon and Piyomon were taken prisoners by GigaSeadramon.

"I wonder what happened outside there…," Gabumon asked, "Why did they capture us?"

"I don't know…," Piyomon shook her head, "I just hope Sora is okay…"

"Yeah, hopefully Yamato is doing fine as well…," Gabumon added, "I hope they will find us soon and rescue us."

Suddenly they heard the sound of door's opening. They quickly turned over to see the Lord of Millennium, still in his cloaked form, entered the room. He smiled maliciously as he saw the two Digimon.

"You!" Gabumon growled, "You are the one who captured us, right!? What do you want!?"

"My, my, how grouchy of you…," the Lord of Millennium mocked them, "Living in the darkness sure dampens your mood, doesn't it?"

"Answer me!" Gabumon bellowed, "What do you want!?"

"My, you are really impatient, aren't you?" the Lord of Millennium sneered evilly, "To think that one of your friends is looking forward to meet you…"

"What do you mean?" Piyomon asked.

"Well, you'd better see him by yourself!" The Lord of Millennium's sneer widened as he moved away.

"V-mon!?" Gabumon gasped as he saw the tiny blue dragon stood before him, "What are you doing here?"

"You see, apparently this little friend of yours is my new ally. He has agreed to help me to get rid of this twisted world," The Lord of Millennium smiled wickedly.

"What!? This is a joke, right, V-mon!?" Piyomon shouted in disbelief.

"You bastard, what are you doing to him!?" Gabumon bellowed angrily.

"Well, enough of this chit-chat!" The Lord of Millennium shouted, "Now, V-mon, you know what to do with them!" he commanded V-mon.

V-mon nodded lightly, and then he ripped the cell door open. He slowly walked to Gabumon.

"V-mon, what are you doing!?" Gabumon shouted, "Please come back to your sense!"

"It's no use!" The Lord of Millennium laughed maliciously, "He can't hear you!"

"Give…me…your…data!" Gabumon saw V-mon stared blankly at him. Suddenly he jumped and bit Gabumon's neck. Gabumon screamed loudly as he felt his data was sucked away from him. Feeling he had enough, V-mon released Gabumon from his grip, leaving him barely conscious.

"Now do the same to her!" the Lord of Millennium commanded him. V-mon nodded lightly and then began to walk to her.

"Please, V-mon!" Piyomon pleaded, "You are not evil! Please don't do this!"

However, V-mon just ignored her plea. He merely seized her and then bit her neck. A loud scream erupted, followed by the malicious laugh.

"At last, the preparation is complete!" The Lord of Millennium's voice echoed, "Now, my pet, it's time to reveal your true power! Dark evolution, activate!" he shouted.

The Lord of Millennium laughed maliciously as purple light of dark evolution surrounded V-mon. He slowly transformed into a gigantic figure with a bloodthirsty look in his eyes.

The Lord of Millennium then left with him, leaving Gabumon and Piyomon there.

"Yamato, help me…," Gabumon remarked weakly as he slowly lost his consciousness.

**-End of Chapter 21-**


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **As I promised before, here is the next chapter. Lately, the lack of feedback I received really makes me disappointed. However, due to respect for the reviewer who ask me not to drop this story, I decide to continue this story, although it still possible for me to drop this story if I receive no feedback at all.

If anyone noticed, the story genre has been changed to adventure only, and it will stay that way if no one change my mind.

Disclaimer: Digimon is property of Toei Animation. Also, some elements of this chapter are taken mainly from Tales series. They are the property of their respective owners.

As always, feedback will be greatly appreciated, so please give me your feedback! As always, constructive criticisms are welcomed, but no flames please, especially if they just contain some kind of nonsense or even insults. They will be reported or deleted (in case of anonymous reviews).

* * *

**Chapter 22 – The Truth behind All**

_Sol Sanctum, Hall of Origin…_

"Chosen Children, please follow me!" Zenmaru remarked, "I will guide you to the Origin's Slate!"

"Origin's Slate?" Koushirou asked.

"Yes, Origin is sealed there," Zenmaru replied, "We need to break all the seals there in order to form a pact with him!"

"Form a pact?" Yamato asked, "For what?"

"To gain Origin's trust," Zenmaru replied, "If we want to make him forging the Eternal Orb, you need to form a pact with him," he added.

"So, by forming a pact with him, he will forge Eternal Orb for us?" Taichi asked.

"Most likely," Zenmaru nodded lightly, "For now, let's just concentrate on breaking the seals!"

Zenmaru led them all to one big slate. A lot of runic characters were engraved in there. In both side of the slate, there was the symbol of light and darkness.

"So, this is the Origin's Slate?" Ken asked.

"Yes," Zenmaru nodded, "This is where Origin was sealed. Now, we need to undo the force field surrounding this slate first! Coronamon, Lunamon, if you please…," he remarked.

"Got it!" Coronamon replied shortly.

"I'll do my best!" Lunamon added.

"Then, I will do it first!" Coronamon shouted, "I call upon the light of the heavens. Come forth, Rem!" Following his order, the flame-shaped wristband in his hands glowed, and then beams of light emerged, bathing the symbol of light beside the slate. An angelic figure emerged from it. In the same time, the symbol of light was lit.

"Now is my turn!" Lunamon shouted, "I call upon the envoy from the dark abyss. Come forth, Shadow!" Following her command, her moon-shaped necklace glowed, and it shot purple beam upon the symbol of darkness. A humanoid creature covered by armor radiating darkness aura emerged from it, lighting the symbol of darkness.

"OK, this should enough to undo the force field!" Zenmaru remarked, "Now, it's my turn to undo the Dragon's Seal! Everyone, please stay back!" he added, and then his body began to glow. In the same time, the slate also glowed. After a moment, Zenmaru stopped glowing.

Without warning, the slate was torn away, and a creature emerged from the slate. This creature looked like a muscular man with four arms, each of which wielded a different weapon.

"Who dares to wake me up?" That creature, Origin, shouted.

"It has been a long time since the last time I saw you, Origin," Zenmaru opened the conversation, "I am Zenmaru, the guardian of Sol Sanctum."

"What do you want!?" Origin growled, "If this is about Huanglongmon's request, you can forget it!"

"No, of course not," Zenmaru shook his head, "However, these children need your help, Origin!"

"Then they can forget it!" Origin shouted, "The Eternal Orb shall not be forged once more! Not after Huanglongmon misused it in the past!"

The Chosen Children shocked after hearing Origin's statement. They never thought that Origin would say something like that.

"Even after 1000 years, you haven't forgotten about that, huh?" Zenmaru shook his head.

"What do you mean, Zen?" Taichi demanded.

"Actually, this matter is very top secret information," Zenmaru replied, "However, because we have come into this, I think it's time for you to know the truth."

"I think you have already known that this world is composed from data," Zenmaru began, and immediately all of them nodded, "However, data itself cannot bring life to this world. There is another force that brings life to this world: mana. Without the presence of mana, Digimon would only be lifeless beings."

"Around 1000 years ago, with the advance of our civilization, the usage of mana had tremendously increased. However, this technology advance consumed massive amount of mana, and it put a lot strain to the Great Sol Tree," Zenmaru continued.

"The Great Sol Tree?" Yamato asked, "What is that?"

"The Great Sol Tree, originally grew in this very place, produced the mana required for this world. However, because the mana consumption rate was so great, the tree couldn't keep with it anymore. As the result, the tree withered away," Zenmaru explained.

"So, what happened after the tree withered away?" Koushirou asked.

"The mana supply became very scarce. A lot of things had happened as the result of mana deficient," Zenmaru explained, "Some Digimon species which depended a lot on mana had vanished, and the Digital Firewall became very weak, as its power source was mana."

"Wait a minute, so that's why…," Miyako asked as she looked at Hawkmon and Armadimon.

"Yes, you are right," Zenmaru nodded, "The mana deficiency had caused the extinction of Hawkmon and Armadimon races, along with several other races, including my race."

"Why?" Koushirou asked, "Digimon can be reborn, right?"

"Yes and no," Zenmaru smiled bitterly, "It's true that the data of dead Digimon can be reconfigured into their respective Digitama. However, Digitama needs certain amount of mana to hatch. The Great Sol Tree used to provide the required mana for hatching process, but after it withered away, the Digitama can only use the mana stored on it, and if it is not sufficient, the Digitama will not hatch."

"That problem was nothing compared to the other problem," Zenmaru continued, "The real problem is the weakened state of Digital Firewall. I think Gennai once told you about the Wall of Fire, right?" he asked, and all of them nodded.

"The Wall of Fire is the remnant of the Digital Firewall," Zenmaru explained, "Digital Firewall was a barrier that separated Digital World and the other world, such as Dark Area and Human World. It provided protection to this world from any evil Digimon originated from the Dark Area. However, because of the mana scarcity, it was greatly weakened. And then, you know what happened next…"

"I remember now!" Patamon shouted, "The Lord of Millennium attacked, and then we called for the help from them!"

"Them? You mean the first Chosen Children ever?" Takeru asked his partner.

"Yes, they were our former partners," Patamon nodded, "We, together with the Guardians and AlForceV-dramon managed to defeat most of the Millennium Army, but…" he couldn't continue.

"We couldn't defeat Millenniumon. I remember that Huanglongmon used some kind of jewel to seal some of Millenniumon's power, but still, we weren't strong enough to defeat him, so our partners decided to give up their life force to us, and thus empowering that jewel, and with that, we managed to split Millenniumon into Chaosdramon and Chimeramon, and defeated them!" Armadimon continued.

"Yes, however, the problem wasn't over yet," Zenmaru added, "After defeating and sealing Lord of Millennium, the mana became even scarcer. To prevent further mana depletion, Huanglongmon decided to split this world into five parallel worlds like now. He also established the mana link to distribute the remaining mana evenly into the five worlds, and then created the Wall of Fire from the remnant of Digital Firewall as barriers that separated the five worlds from each other as well as from Dark Area. The Guardians then split to protect each world, until now," Zenmaru ended his explanation.

"Humph, and by doing that, he betrayed our pact!" Origin growled, "He promised me that he would restore the great tree after defeating the Lord of Millennium! That's why I forged him the Eternal Orb! But he didn't do that, and he even sealed me here!"

"No, you are mistaken!" Zenmaru objected, "He did all for the sake of our world!"

"Shame on you, Zenmaru…," Origin stated coldly, "As a watcher, you have failed to see what really happened! Now, enough of this nonsense! I will go back to my slumber!"

"Wait!" Daisuke shouted.

"Now what do you want!?" Origin remarked coldly.

"Listen, we don't know whether Huanglongmon did all of those things to protect this world or not, and we don't even care! All that we care that my partner, no, our world is in danger, and we need your help to protect it!" Daisuke shouted.

"Daisuke is right!" Takeru nodded, "We want to protect this world, so please, Origin!"

"We love this world, and we will do anything to protect it for sure!" Taichi shouted, "Origin, please believe on us!"

"How can I know that you will not misuse the power of Eternal Orb?" Origin asked coldly.

"We will not!" All of them shouted, "We will use its power just to protect this world!"

Origin glanced at them one by one, and then he closed his eyes, saying, "Very well, I can see that your intention is sincere. I will try to believe on you once more. Now, prepare yourself!"

"What!?" Agumon asked in surprise, "Didn't you just say you would believe on us?"

"You have shown me the proof of your spirit, and now, show me the proof of your strength!" Origin shouted as he readied his weapons.

"If the proof of our strength is what you want, then we will show you!" Taichi shouted, "Everyone, let's do it!"

"Yeah, we will not lose!" Yamato added.

"Then, let's begin!" Origin remarked.

* * *

_Digital World, Eastern Hemisphere, Dragon's Gate…_

"It has been quite a while since the Chosen Children left this place. I wonder if they have successfully retrieved the Light…," Qinglongmon mumbled to himself, "But this bad feeling… It still hasn't gone yet. I wonder what happened…," he shook his head.

"Qinglongmon, we have an emergency!" suddenly a Piximon flew to him, "An unknown Digimon was spotted near this place!"

"Unknown Digimon?" Qinglongmon asked, "What do you mean?"

"It's a gigantic dragon Digimon, but we cannot identify it! Not only that, vast amount of darkness has been detected in this area!" Piximon explained panicky.

"No… It can't be...!" Qinglongmon shook his head, "This shouldn't happen!"

Before they could talk anymore, a blast of fire emerged from the entrance of the room. The blast consumed Piximon, which was deleted immediately. Qinglongmon quickly crafted a barrier to protect himself. As the flame dissipated, he could see a giant silhouette of a dragon. This dragon was just like Imperialdramon, but his body was covered by armor radiating dark aura. Also, a pair of Metalgarurumon's legs replaced his normal back legs, and Garudamon's wings replaced his normal wings.

"No, it can't be true!" Qinglongmon shouted.

"Oh, but it's true, my dear Qinglongmon…," A cold voice echoed, and as the smoke cleared, a cloaked figure appeared in front of the dragon Digimon. He smiled maliciously as he saw horror expression in Qinglongmon's face.

"Lord of Millennium!" Qinglongmon's eyes widened.

"Long time no see, Qinglongmon!" the Lord of Millennium greeted, "I imagine that you must be bored, living here alone for 1000 years, so I brought you a little treats."

"Then…then this creature is…," Qinglongmon remarked stutteringly.

"Nice, isn't he?" the Lord of Millennium smirked full of satisfactory, "You should be grateful, Qinglongmon, after all the trouble I had to bring him here."

"No, it-it can't be!" Qinglongmon objected.

"But it is," the Lord of Millennium's smile became even bigger, "Now, shall we, Doomdramon?" he asked the dragon creature beside him.

The dragon creature called Doomdramon nodded lightly, and then he zoomed into Qinglongmon. Qinglongmon quickly dodged his ramming attack.

"Then I don't have any other choice!" Qinglongmon shouted, "Wind Electricity!"

Streams of electricity quickly rained toward Doomdramon. However, to Qinglongmon's surprise, the attack didn't even leave a scratch in Doomdramon's body.

"Guard Aura," the Lord of Millennium smiled maliciously, "One of his special abilities. Nice, isn't it?"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Qinglongmon shouted, "Blue Lightning!"

This time, Qinglongmon unleashed several powerful blasts of lightning on Doomdramon. However, despite of his size, Doomdramon was quick enough to maneuver through all the blasts, so that none of them hit him.

"Impossible!" Qinglongmon shouted in desperation, "How could he dodge all my attacks!?"

"Getting a little bit rusty, aren't you?" the Lord of Millennium mocked Qinglongmon, "Doomdramon, show him what you are capable of!" he commanded.

Immediately, a big magic glyph appeared below Doomdramon. Before Qinglongmon could act, a big fireball dropped from the sky, and it caused a huge explosion as it collided into the ground. When the smoke cleared, Qinglongmon was standing unharmed, thanks to the barrier he crafted before the explosion.

"Do you really think that kind of attack can finish me off!?" Qinglongmon shouted.

"Just a little warm-up for you, of course," the Lord of Millennium smiled wickedly, "But don't worry, it will get better!"

"Why you-," Qinglongmon growled, but he didn't have any time to rest, as Doomdramon started to charge his cannon up. Immediately, laser of darkness streamed out from it. Lucky enough, Qinglongmon was able to dodge, although it did graze Qinglongmon's side a bit.

"This power…," Qinglongmon winced as he felt unusual pain from his side.

"See, I told you it would become more interesting!" the Lord of Millennium mocked him, "Now Doomdramon, let's give him something special!"

Doomdramon nodded, and then charged his cannon up again. This time, he fired a huge ball of darkness into Qinglongmon. Qinglongmon quickly flew up to avoid the attack.

Qinglongmon was able to evade the darkness sphere this time. However, it seemed that Doomdramon's attack was a homing one, so it kept chasing its target. Qinglongmon was so busy dodging the dark sphere that he didn't realize that Millenniumon had materialized behind him. He silently cast something as he watched Qinglongmon dodged the sphere.

"At this rate, I will…," Qinglongmon winced in pain as he dodged the sphere again. However, before he could act anymore, he felt an immerse pain from his back. When he turned to look, a huge sword of darkness had already pierced his back.

"Do you really think that I came to this place unprepared?" the Lord of Millennium smiled wickedly, "While you were busy dodging Doomdramon's attack, Millenniumon attacked from behind. Never thought you would fall to a simple trick like this," he added sarcastically.

"Gah, you-," Qinglongmon coughed in pain.

"You should never leave your back unguarded, Qinglongmon," the Lord of Millennium remarked sarcastically, "Now, any last word?" he asked as the dark sphere came closer to Qinglongmon.

"Ugh, you cheater-!" Qinglongmon coughed again.

"Poor choice for the last word…," the Lord of Millennium shook his head, "Enjoy your trip into the other realm, Qinglongmon! Don't worry, your comrades will follow you soon!" he laughed maniacally.

The sphere of darkness hit Qinglongmon, swallowing him in process, before it burst into a huge explosion. After the mist cleared, Qinglongmon was gone, replaced by a floating green orb.

"Ah, the essence of wind, just what I need!" the Lord of Millennium picked up the green orb, "Nicely done, Doomdramon, Millenniumon!" he added.

"Tell our army to help themselves!" the Lord of Millennium commanded Millenniumon, "This region is ours now. It's time to spread fear and terror to the entire world!"

Millenniumon nodded a bit, and then he vanished into thin air.

"One down, three to go!" the Lord of Millennium remarked, "Now my pet, let's not waste our precious time here. The game is on!" and with that, both of them flew away from there.

* * *

_Sol Sanctum, Hall of Origin…_

"Everyone, get ready!" Taichi shouted.

"We are ready!" Agumon responded enthusiastically.

"Let's do it!" Gomamon added.

"We won't lose!" Tentomon joined.

"We will show you!" Palmon added.

* * *

WARP EVOLUTION…

Agumon warp-evolve…Wargreymon!

Gomamon warp-evolve…Plesiomon!

Tentomon warp-evolve…H-Kabuterimon!

Palmon warp-evolve…Rosemon!

* * *

"We should join too!" Ken remarked.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Takeru responded.

* * *

EVOLUTION…

Hawkmon evolve…Aquilamon!

Armadimon evolve…Ankylomon!

Patamon evolve…Angemon!

Wormmon evolve…Stingmon!

Terriermon evolve…Galgomon! Galgomon super-evolve…Rapidmon!

Lopmon evolve…Wendimon! Wendimon super-evolve…Antiramon!

Betamon evolve…Seadramon! Seadramon super-evolve…MegaSeadramon!

* * *

"Miyako, get ready!" Hikari shouted.

"Anytime, partner!" Miyako replied.

"We should do it too, Iori!" Takeru joined. Iori nodded in agreement.

* * *

JOGRESS EVOLUTION…

Aquilamon…Tailmon…jogress evolve…Siphymon! Silphymon…ultimate evolve…Valkyriemon!

Ankylomon…Angemon…jogress evolve…Shakkoumon! Shakkoumon…ultimate evolve…ClavisAngemon!

* * *

"Good, it seems that you are ready!" Origin shouted, "Let's begin!"

"We will show you! Gaia Force!" Wargreymon shouted as he charged up a huge energy ball, and then he threw it to Origin. To Wargreymon's surprise, Origin charged into his Gaia Force, slashed his weapons against it multiple times, splitting it into several parts before it exploded.

"Not bad, but not enough! Take this!" Origin commented as he swung all his weapons to Wargreymon. Wargreymon did his best to parry every hit thrown to him, before proceed to counter them with his Dramon Destroyer. The two kept exchanging blows for some time before Origin finally managed to knock Wargreymon away.

"Violent wave, Spread!" Plesiomon quickly followed.

Following his command, the ground below Origin cracked, and then water bursting from it, engulfing Origin. Origin, however, just swatted it with his weapon.

"See if you can endure this!" Origin shouted, "Collapse!"

Immediately, Origin split into three, and all of them surrounded Plesiomon. Without warning, all of them rained electric beams on him. Plesiomon screamed in pain as the lightning bolt electrocuted him.

"Leave him alone!" Valkyriemon shouted as she immediately flew to Origin, which had already become one again, "Fenrir Sword!"

Origin quickly evaded the blow. He and Valkyriemon exchanged blows several times before Origin finally swatted her away.

"Valkyriemon!" ClavisAngemon shouted anxiously.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Valkyriemon smiled, "Don't let your guard down, ClavisAngemon!"

"Got it!" ClavisAngemon nodded, "Now let's try this, Ray!"

Following his command, a light glyph appeared above Origin. It shot several beams of light on Origin.

"That's it!" ClavisAngemon cheered, however his cheer was gone as he saw that his attack just left a few scratch on Origin.

"Come on, show me your best fight!" Origin shouted, "Take this, Embrace End!"

Realizing that Origin targeted him, ClavisAngemon quickly jumped out from his place. Before long, a giant chunk of ice was dropped to his former place before it shattered.

"Damn, he is very strong!" Wargreymon shook his head.

"Watch out, Wargreymon! He's targeting you now!" ClavisAngemon warned.

"Think you can survive this? Gran Vanish!" Origin shouted.

Realizing that he was in danger, Wargreymon quickly flew away. Instantly, the ground before him was opened, and then it released a massive energy wave. Wargreymon managed to avoid the wave, although the shockwave still managed to send him flying.

"Wargreymon!" Taichi shouted anxiously.

"I'm fine, Taichi!" Wargreymon reassured his partner after he could control himself again, "How about Plesiomon?"

"Heh, heh, I'm not doing too well, but I think I still can live it…," Plesiomon chuckled lightly, although he was still in pain.

"Leave this to me!" Rosemon shouted, "O great land, swath us in your protection, Restore!"

A warm feeling enveloped Plesiomon as a mild beam shone upon him. He could feel that all his wounds were healed. In addition, it also granted him new strength.

"Thank you, Rosemon! Ya are a great help!" Plesiomon shouted.

"Don't mention it!" Rosemon smiled.

"Plesiomon, are you okay?" Jyou asked.

"Never better," Plesiomon replied shortly, "Time for payback!"

* * *

"It seems only Ultimate Digimon can fight in par with Origin…," Coronamon commented, "I have heard about Origin's power, but I never thought he would be this strong…"

"Yes, you might be right," Zenmaru remarked as he watched Origin blocking Andiramon's Treasure Axe and Rapidmon's Rapid Missile simultaneously before electrocuting them with Collapse, causing them to degenerate into their child level.

"Can't you just help us!?" Daisuke demanded.

"I know that you are worried about your partner, and so do I," Zenmaru smiled weakly, "After all, he is also my brother. However, there's nothing I can do about this. Origin might not honor you with a pact if I dare to interfere."

"Don't worry, Daisuke!" Takeru encouraged him, "We can do it!"

"Yeah, Takeru is right!" Hikari added, "No one could beat us if we fight as one!"

* * *

"Damn, this guy is really annoying!" Plesiomon mumbled as he saw H-Kabuterimon and Origin exchanging blows. Again, Origin proved to be very skillful with his weapons as he easily blocked all H-Kabuterimon's ramming blows and knock him away.

"Grr, this guy is driving me crazy!" H-Kabuterimon shouted in frustration, "Take this, Mega Horn Buster!" he fired energy wave from his horn.

"Not good enough!" Origin shouted as he sliced the energy wave to completely nullify its effect, "Take this…"

"Not so fast, Rose Rapier!" Rosemon shouted as she elongated her rapier. Origin, however, just jumped away to avoid that, though it shifted his attention to Rosemon.

"Good, we need to do that!" Wargreymon shouted, remembering the battle against GigaSeadramon, "Distract him!"

"Got it, Spiking Finish!" Stingmon rammed into Origin, which distracted him from Rosemon.

"Too slow!" Origin exclaimed as he quickly grabbed Stingmon and threw him away.

"Let's try this!" Wargreymon shouted, "Come, brilliant conflagration that shatters the universe! Ancient Nova!"

A pulsing hole appeared above Origin's head. It shot a fire beam, and after making a contact with ground, it caused multiple explosions.

"All right!" Taichi cheered, "Keep it up, Wargreymon!"

As the smoke cleared, Origin was still standing. However, some bruises were spotted in his body.

"I've got to admit that you can come up with a good strategy in a short time!" Origin smirked in satisfactory, "However, can you withstand this!?"

"His aura is changing!" ClavisAngemon stated anxiously, "Don't tell me that he is going to use a Divine Skill!"

"Everyone, distract him!" Valkyriemon shouted as she charged into him. Wargreymon, H-Kabuterimon, MegaSeadramon, and Stingmon followed her as well.

"No, everyone stay back!" ClavisAngemon cried, but it was too late as a giant blue magic glyph was engulfing the entire battlefield.

"Hear my call, O thunder that gave birth to life…," As he began chanting, he was surrounded by wall of lightning. As the result, Wargreymon, Valkyriemon, H-Kabuterimon, Stingmon, and MegaSeadramon were caught inside the wall of lightning. All of them cried in pain as the lightning electrocuted them.

"…Unleash your angst, O great genesis of land, Rebirth Crusader!" Origin finished his chanting, and then pointed all his weapons to the sky. A massive bolt of lightning was drawn to Origin, and then he channeled it to the entire battlefield, creating massive thunder explosion. After the lightning diminished, all the Chosen Digimon were barely unconscious.

"What power…," Koushirou's eyes widened.

"Ugh, we can't lose here!" Wargreymon grunted in pain.

"Yeah, we can't just give up!" Plesiomon winced in pain. Like Wargreymon, he was badly wounded, but thanks to Rosemon's protection before, his condition was better than the others.

"Gah, I can't lose here!" Stingmon struggled so much to stand. As only an adult Digimon, Rebirth Crusader critically wounded him. Somehow, he managed to survive.

'_I give you my digital DNA, please protect Daisuke for me!'_ suddenly Stingmon heard V-mon's voice echoed in his head.

'_Use it to evolve further, and protect our friends,'_ V-mon's voice echoed again.

'_V-mon…,' _Stingmon thought. Suddenly, a light orb emerged from Stingmon's body, and with a burst of light, it merged with Stingmon. When the light faded, Stingmon's wound was fully healed.

"Ken, I think I can do it!" Stingmon shouted, "Help me to evolve!"

"OK, here we go!" Ken shouted. The Crest of Kindness responded by shooting light to Ken's Digivice, and then channeled it to Stingmon.

* * *

EVOLUTION…

Stingmon super evolve…Dinobeemon!

* * *

Stood in the place of Stingmon was a hybrid Digimon between XV-mon and Stingmon. However, unlike Paildramon, the Stingmon part was more dominant in Dinobeemon.

"Dinobeemon, a jogress evolution between Stingmon and XV-mon," Koushirou read Dinobeemon's information from his laptop, "His insect part is more dominant than his dragon part, and he is also one of the fastest Insect Digimon."

"Dinobeemon, distract Origin so the other can recover!" Ken shouted.

"Got it! Speed Slashes!" Dinobeemon shouted. Flying into Origin, he performed high speed slashes on Origin. Origin responded by using his weapons. Both of them exchanged blows at a very high speed that only their afterimages could be seen.

"Wow, Dinobeemon is really cool!" Miyako's glasses dropped as she observed their shadows.

"Great work, Dinobeemon!" Plesiomon whispered, "Time to act!" he added as he started chanted a spell.

"Are you sure you are okay?" Jyou asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, Jyou, after this, everyone will be okay!" Plesiomon replied with a sing-sang voice, which made Jyou sweatdropped.

"…How could you crack a joke at time like this?" Jyou sighed.

"But it makes me more relax," Plesiomon replied lightly, "Just observe! Grant us the breath of life that shelters all creation, Revitalize!"

A giant glyph then appeared, surrounding the entire battlefield. As the glyph was complete, it radiated gentle light.

"This…," All the Chosen Digimon remarked in amazement as they saw their wound being healed.

"See, I told you we would be okay!" Plesiomon grinned as all the Chosen Digimon were back to their feet, ready for fight.

"That was…amazing!" Jyou's glasses dropped in amazement.

"Everyone, it is payback time!" Wargreymon shouted, "Let's show Origin everything we got!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Origin and Dinobeemon were still exchanging blows to each other. Dinobeemon's extremely high speed certainly helped him a lot to keep up with Origin's weapon skill.

"I must admit that you are really good, even in your perfect stage," Origin remarked, "However, it is still not good enough to defeat me!"

"It is not just me who will defeat you! We will defeat you!" Dinobeemon shouted, and with a final clash, both of them stepped back.

"Gaia Force!" Wargreymon shouted, throwing a massive energy ball on Origin. Again, Origin was ready for this attack, and he destroyed the energy ball just like before.

"Laser Javelin!" Valkyriemon shouted, firing a javelin-shaped laser to Origin. Again, Origin was quick enough to avoid it.

"We have to stop his movement!" MegaSeadramon shouted as Origin swatted his Thunder Javelin like nothing.

"Leave this to me!" Rosemon responded, "Just keep him distracted!"

"OK, divine spears, run my enemy through, Holy Lance!" ClavisAngemon shouted.

Following his command, several light spears flew toward Origin. Origin was able to dodge most of them, while the hit just scratched him a bit.

"Still not good enough!" Origin shouted, but before he could act anymore, H-Kabuterimon rammed him from behind. Having not ready for this attack, Origin was thrown away for the first time.

"Now, Rosemon!" Valkyriemon shouted.

"Ivy Hug!" Rosemon shouted, stabbing her rose rapier to the ground. Multiple vines started to grow and ensnared Origin.

"Wargreymon, I leave this to you!" Rosemon shouted, "Get him good!"

Wargreymon nodded and started to gather all the strength he had. He then charged up for Gaia Force, but this time was a bit different as he charged up two massive energy balls.

"I'll show you when I'm serious! This ends now! Chou-Ougi: Dual the Sun!" he shouted, and then threw both energy balls at Origin. Two massive explosions followed as the twin energy balls collided. At the same time, Wargreymon degenerated to Agumon.

"Agumon, are you okay?" Taichi quickly embraced his partner.

"I'm okay, just a bit tired…," Agumon stated weakly, "More importantly, did we do it?"

As the smoke cleared, Origin was still standing. The last attack managed to give him a lot of bruises and left a lot of burn mark on him. The rest of the Chosen Digimon were ready to fight again. However, to their surprise, Origin smiled and sheathed his weapons away.

"I can see that you are really worthy for this," Origin remarked, "You have shown me the proof of your strength!"

"Then, we've won?" Agumon asked, and Origin nodded lightly.

"So, you will forge us Eternal Orb?" Daisuke asked.

"Yes," Origin replied shortly, "Now bring all the Digimentals you have!"

One by one, Daisuke, Miyako, Iori, Takeru, and Hikari released their Digimentals. Origin levitated all the Digimentals, and then with a burst of light, fusing them. When the light dissipated, all the Digimentals were gone, replaced by a single clear orb. This orb was so clear that they could see lots of runic symbols rotated inside.

"So this is the Eternal Orb, huh?" Yamato commented, "Looks like an ordinary orb if you ask me."

""Yes, this is definitely the one!" Zenmaru nodded, "This orb holds enormous power, and more importantly, you can save V-mon with this!"

"Are you sure?" Daisuke asked anxiously.

"I'm sure about it!" Patamon replied enthusiastically, "I can feel the warm yet powerful feeling from there!"

"Then we should hurry!" Taichi shouted.

"I'll let you take the Eternal Orb in one condition," Origin remarked, "Defeat the evil that lurks in this world and restore this world to its former glory! This will be our pact!"

"Don't worry, we will do it!" Daisuke remarked enthusiastically.

"So, what's your next plan?" Zenmaru asked them.

"Why, we will go directly to Lord of Millennium's base!" Taichi replied, "We will teach him a lesson he will never forget!"

"Also, we will rescue Gabumon and Piyomon!" Yamato added.

"In that case, let me give you a parting gift!" Zenmaru remarked, and then his body started to glow. A large glyph formed below the Chosen Digimon, and it started radiating gentle light.

"This…," Gomamon was at loss of word.

"Suddenly I don't feel tired anymore!" Agumon remarked cheerily.

After awhile, Zenmaru stopped glowing, and the glyph disappeared. All Chosen Digimon were amazed with this as they felt new power inside them being awakened.

"What are you doing, Zen?" Taichi asked.

"I unlocked the final seal inside your partners," Zenmaru explained, "With this, they will be able to use their respective Divine Skills, just like Wargreymon did before. In addition, I also give them some boost so that their Divine Skill will not strain their strength too much, means that they can still fight even after using their Divine Skills."

"You mean I can use Dual the Sun without degenerating to Agumon?" Agumon asked, and Zenmaru nodded lightly, "Cool, it should help us a lot!"

"Also, Patamon, Tailmon, and Lopmon, can you come closer?" Zenmaru asked.

"Yes, what do you want me to do?" Patamon asked.

"I can see that you three can evolve to become Angel Digimon. In that case, I will also pass to you some Angel Skills. I'm sure it will be useful later," Zenmaru remarked.

"But I need to go to my ultimate level to become Kerpymon!" Lopmon stated, "I don't even have that ability!"

"You should be able to!" Origin remarked, "Now that you have the Eternal Orb, its power will allow you to surpass any evolution restriction, so you should be able to do it!"

"Really?" Takeru asked.

"Yes," Origin replied shortly.

"Then, shall we continue?" Zenmaru asked.

"Okay, we are ready!" Tailmon answered.

"Okay, then please gather around me!" Zenmaru stated, and then his body glowed. As he recited the incantation, a lot of feather could be seen floating from the glyph. After that, Zenmaru stopped glowing, and he immediately degenerated to his child form.

"Zenmaru, are you okay?" Patamon and Tailmon quickly caught Zenmaru as they saw the blue dragon nearly collapsed.

"I'll be fine," Zenmaru smiled, "it's been a long time since the last time I exerted so much power like that, so I am not used to it anymore."

"But you look so pale!" Patamon protested, "Are you sure you are okay?"

"Don't worry, I will lend him some of my mana," Origin remarked, and then he embraced Zenmaru and held his hand. Both of them glowed awhile.

"There, he should be okay!" Origin remarked, "Now Chosen Children, I will help you by transporting you to your destination. Which place do you want to go?"

"I suggest we go to the Desert Oasis near the entrance of the Dark Area!" Coronamon suggested, "That way, we can prepare ourselves before entering the Dark Area!"

"Yeah, I think Brother is right," Lunamon nodded, "How about that?" she asked the Chosen Children.

"It's fine for me," Taichi shrugged, "How about that, Yamato?"

"As long as we can rescue Gabumon, Piyomon, and V-mon, I am not complaining!" Yamato replied.

"Yeah, let's just follow Coronamon's suggestion!" Koushirou added.

"Okay then, let's go!" Taichi shouted, "To the Desert Oasis!"

As he said that, a glyph appeared before them, and with a burst of light, they vanished.

"Ok then, it's time to go back to my slumber!" Origin remarked.

"Wait a minute!" Zenmaru shouted, "Umm, I just wonder if you can show me some events in the past. There's something bothering me right now!"

"Very well, since I do owe you an apology, I will grant your wish," Origin remarked, "However, I can only show you one event in the past…"

"That's fine with me," the blue dragon nodded, "Please take me to time when the last replica of my brother was born!"

"Very well…," Origin remarked, and then a blinding light surrounded them.

* * *

_Unknown place..._

When Zenmaru opened his eyes, he was in a big laboratory now. A lot of strange machineries were running, and he immediately noticed the blue dragon that was strapped in one of the machine there. He recognized him as V-maru, his younger brother.

"It's time!" Zenmaru turned to see Qinglongmon and Baihumon walked in.

"I think we should just give up, Baihumon!" Qinglongmon remarked, "We have tried six times already, and none of them come close!"

"We need to do it anyway!" the white tiger Digimon replied, "Look at him, at his condition now, he can't even fight! How are we supposed to defeat the Lord of Millennium without his power?"

"But you realize that this could kill him, right?" Qinglongmon protested, "A lot of originals can't survive after going on replication process!"

"We don't have any other choice," Baihumon responded, "Either do it, or being doomed!"

Qinglongmon tried to argue, but finally he nodded in agreement. After that, they turned the machine on.

"The process will take several hours. We will check him again after our meeting!" Baihumon remarked, and then he and Qinglongmon left.

Loud scream broke after the process began. Zenmaru couldn't bear to see his little brother screaming in pain. Meanwhile, across him, a silhouette began to form. Suddenly, V-maru stopped screaming, and with his last breath, he dissipated into data.

'_V-maru…,'_ Zenmaru thought sadly, _'I'm sorry I could not protect you…'_

However, something strange happened as V-maru's data flew to the place where his replica started to form. As it arrived there, the data began to reconfigure itself and before long, a V-mon was born there.

'_So that's why he inherits all of my brother's abilities, while the others don't…,'_ Zenmaru thought.

"Origin, I think I have seen enough…," Zenmaru remarked as he wiped tears from his eyes, "Please take me back to our time."

* * *

With a blink of light, Zenmaru returned to the Hall of Origin. He finally knew the truth behind his brother's death. After thanking Origin, he returned to his place.

'_Chosen Children, please save V-mon! You are my only hope!' _Zenmaru thought, and then he started to meditate.

**-End of Chapter 22-**


	23. Final Note: Announcement

**Final Note: New Episode Announcement**

After doing some thinking, and with some input, I've decided that I will try again, but not in the original story. I will post the new story, or rather the new episode as the trial basis, and whether I will continue it or not depends on the people's reaction on the new story. Everything will be reset to the original state, means that if you want some pairings, you have to request it again, except maybe Takari and PataTail, as the original story has told a lot about them. Do note that other pairings other than those two (plus the one I made) will be discontinued, and if no one requests anymore pairings, those will be the final ones.

Also, the first chapter for the new episode will be the recap from this story, so for new readers, or maybe the ones who haven't read this for long time, you do not need to read this story to catch up. I know that 22 chapters are not easy to be read, so I will recap them in one chapter. Don't worry as the new episode will be the continuity from this story. I just want to make it easier for readers to read it.

Thank you for your continuous support!

Regards,

Sync


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